Top of the Rock

We went to the Top of the Rock on Jun 24, 2025 as part of the Road Scholar's "American Mosaic - An NYC Exploration" program. Entry to the top is through the "Observation Deck" entrance on the north side of the building (on W 50th St). Tickets were provided by our group, apparently one per family. After it got scanned, we went up the stairs to the mezzanine level and into an enclosed area. This area had a wide screen similar in size to the Immersive Theater in the Statue of Liberty Museum. A 5-minute film was shown summarizing 30 Rock's history, glitz and glamor. It culminated with a Christmas segment accompanied by a literal shower of snowflakes on us from the ceiling. "Now that's immersive," I thought.

The door at the other end opened. We continued on until we entered the Welcome Gallery. At the far end, a staff member stood before a hall of elevators that would take us to the 67th floor. To our left was a miniature model of Rockefeller Center with light show and music. We were then directed a few at a time by the staff member to a specified elevator. Inside the elevator, an audio/visual material played from the ceiling almost like a fanfare to what was coming next. At the 67th floor, a staff member directed us to head right. I took in the view of the city skyline through the windows. Taking pictures was difficult due to limited field of view behind the walls. The unobstructed balcony view would be found on the 69th and 70th floors. Wife and Son weren't comfortable with heights so they hung out in the Weather Room. I was similarly acrophobic but that didn't stop me from taking the escalator to the 69th.

After I got off the escalator, I saw the Beam to my right. Situated entirely on the deck and a maximum elevation of 10 feet from the floor, it didn't look as scary as the people sitting on it made it out to be. My attention quickly turned towards the balcony. From left to right as far as the eye could see, the unobstructed view was overwhelming. Reigning in my acrophobia - which was increasing the longer I remained at the Top - took effort. I proceeded to take pictures of the skyline. The 70th floor above me was accessible by stairs. The view was better. The Beam looked a lot less scary from the 70th floor. As I approached the windows, my breaths got slower and heavier. Taking each picture was laborious because the sunlight made it difficult to see my phone while managing the acrophobia at the same time. Yet I got through it and promptly went down.

The experience at the Top of the Rock was much more enjoyable than that at the Empire State Building (ESB) back in Sep 2008. The wait line was much shorter (45 minutes alone just waiting for the elevator to get on top of the ESB). Top of the Rock didn't feel rushed. It offers a lot more space and more time to take it all in. I definitely recommend this place. If I ever return to New York City, I would like to try a different skyscraper (definitely not the ESB) for the next view from the top.