One World Observatory in New York Tickets and Tours

One World Observatory is located at One World Trade Center and is the tallest skyscraper in New York (and the United States) that pays homage to the Twin Towers.

As one of New York's most popular attractions, booking your ticket for One World Observatory in advance will save you a lot of queuing. If you don't know how to do it or how to choose from the options available, here's a hint about my favourites:

You can buy your tickets for the One World Observatory at the One World Observatory box office, which opens at 9am. In general, in New York, I don't recommend buying tickets at the box office, as you will face long queues and you will probably enter One World already exhausted from waiting on your feet.

The best way to buy tickets online is that, instead of waiting to buy your ticket at that time, you can go straight up and watch life begin in New York with the start of the day. You can also compare prices and rates for tickets to One World Observatory and see if there are any discounts for your visit.

If you want a complete tour of New York, a great option is to purchase a sightseeing pass. For example: the New York Pass includes entry to the One World Observatory among many other activities.

With this particular pass, you can choose between 1 and 10 days of validity to have an "open bar" of activities. I recommend it if you are one of those people who want to get the most out of your trip and not miss out on anything.

However, there are also other passes and if you are considering buying one to complete your visit, I recommend you check out my article comparing each of them: New York tourist passes

Most visitors usually stay at One World Observatory for about an hour. Tickets to One World Observatory do not limit how long you can stay, so you can stay as long as you like. If you're visiting with children, it may take a little longer, as the interactive displays will keep them busy for a while.

One World Trade Center is visible from almost anywhere in Manhattan. Its height, reflective glass windows and now legendary silhouette make it unmistakable, so it's easy to reach on foot or by public transport. Located at Ground Zero, very close to Wall Street, you can walk to it from almost anywhere in lower Manhattan.

• Underground: If you are staying a little further away, the quickest way to get there is by underground
• City Bus: Note that the New York City Sightseeing Bus also has a stop very close to the One World Observatory.

To better organise your itinerary and to know the distances, prices and maps of public transport, you can take a look at this post on how to get to the One World Observatory in New York

To help you plan your visit, please note that the One World Observatory is open from 9am to 9pm except during the summer, when the skyscraper is open from 8am to 10pm. Throughout the year, you can go up to One World Trade Center every day of the week.

Going up to the One World Observatory with the little ones is a plan you won't regret, as there are activities programmed specifically for them. In fact, for your visit with children, I recommend that you let them play for a while in the Sky Portal:

• Sky Portal, interactive screens located on the floor that project images of life in New York under One World Trade Center and give the impression of floating above the air.
• City Pulse, interactive screens that show presentations on icons of New York culture such as its famous cheesecake or its various sports teams.

Check out this article for more things to do in New York with kids to make your family visit to the Big Apple a success.

After entering One World Trade Center, you will begin your ascent to the 102nd floor (where the observation deck is located) in a lift covered entirely by screens that will show you a spectacular time-lapse of the evolution of New York, from its founding as a Dutch colony in the 17th century to the present day.

When you reach the top of the skyscraper you will enter the One World Observatory via the See Forever Theater walkway, with another show of stunning visuals of everyday New York.

And now you can finally enjoy what you came all this way for: breathtaking views of New York from the top. The observation deck is enclosed unlike the Empire State Building and the Top of the Rock, giving you a sense of greater distance from the city.

Plus, One World Trade Center is the tallest skyscraper in the city, so you'll be able to see New York stretching for miles and miles in the distance.

Before you head up to the observation deck, make a mental list of the views from the One World Observatory. In a city as big as New York, and especially on a first visit, it's easy to forget all those famous landmarks you'll love to see in miniature and then recognise on your walks around the Big Apple.

In case you're not into the typical tourist activities, there are many more buildings in New York that you can visit, even if they don't have an observatory: Woolworth Building, Chrysler Building, Flatiron Building and many others will delight anyone with a passion for architecture. They are also a must-see:

• Best time to go up to One World: Thanks to its glassed-in observation decks, any time of the day (and even of the year) is a good time to visit. Sunset will give you spectacular colours in the sky; morning will give you a clear, unobstructed view of the skyscrapers and the Hudson; and nighttime is always special, with millions of lights in the skyline. If you can't decide, check out this guide on the best time to go up to One World Observatory.
• How to avoid the crowds: The busiest times at One World Observatory are around 4pm and 5pm, when visitors are preparing to watch the sunset. For similar afternoon views and a less crowded experience, I recommend going at 9am (or 8am in summer), which will give you the whole day to explore the city you've just seen from above.
• What services does the building offer: One World Observatory has a gift shop on the 100th floor and a restaurant on the 101st floor to end your visit with a break.
• Be careful with prices: Be aware that One World Observatory is full of "traps" to attract tourists and make them spend a little extra on interactive tablets for the visit, souvenir photographs, and the like.
• What if the weather is bad: I recommend that you buy tickets to One World Observatory a week or two before your trip to New York, when you can check the weather and choose the best day. Needless to say, if you go up to the skyscraper on a clear day you will have spectacular views of New York and if you go up on a rainy day, the good thing is that the observation deck is covered, which is also an advantage if you go during a very hot or very cold season.
• If you're looking for flexibility: Note that if you've just made up your mind about the time, you can book flexi-time tickets for One World Observatory.

And if climbing a skyscraper doesn't really appeal to you, but you want to enjoy the views of New York from above, you have other options such as taking a helicopter tour of Manhattan or visiting one of the city's many rooftop bars. But in my opinion, climbing a skyscraper is a breathtaking experience not to be missed, especially on your first time in New York.

If the heights have given you an appetite, you're in luck: a busy area like Downtown Manhattan is packed with places to eat, from the most luxurious and exclusive to the quickest and cheapest. The only question you'll have is which one to choose.

Take advantage of being in the area to take a break, recharge your batteries and take shelter from the cold or the heat whether you're in New York in winter or summer, and then continue discovering this area that has so much to offer.

Inevitably, One World Trade Center is part of Ground Zero and is linked to the 9/11 Memorial and Museum so booking a visit to the 9/11 Memorial and Museum with admission to One World Observatory is a great way to explore in depth an event in recent history that has shaped the city like no other.

You will have the opportunity to explore one of the most interesting and unique exhibitions in the world, telling the story of the Twin Towers attacks with objects directly rescued from the rubble. You can read the chronicle of my experience here: 9/11 Memorial and Museum in New York Tickets and Tours.

You can also book a guided tour of New York with entrance to the One World Observatory and learn about the history of the city from an expert guide and then see it from above.

There are other highly recommended skyscrapers in New York to see the city from above:

• Climbing the Empire State Building, an icon of the New York skyline, is a must on any first-time visit to New York, as it contains a fragment of the city's history within its walls.
• And, of course, Rockefeller Center, whose observation deck known as the Top of the Rock will give you the best views of the city including a spectacular close-up of the Empire State Building. In my experience, the best skyscraper in New York.
• The Edge, an innovative building with a spectacular observatory whose glass floor will give you a bird's eye view of New York (literally). Made to test anyone's vertigo, be sure to read how to organise your visit here: The Edge in New York Tickets and Tours.

If you're looking to be in the know and visit the **city'**s hippest skyscraper, then consider the new SUMMIT observation deck in New York: its architecture, innovative observation deck and incredible location have already made it a favourite of many New Yorkers and visitors alike.