Empire State Building

The Empire State Building is one of the most iconic attractions of New York City and a visit to the Big Apple is incomplete without a ride to the top of what was once the tallest building in the world. Built in 1931 and named quite literally after New York, since the state of New York was also known as the Empire State, the Empire State Building was the tallest building in the world for almost 40 years, until the World Trade Centre was built in 1970.

A trip to the top viewing deck on the 102nd floor of this almost 500 metre tall building promises visitors spectacular views of the city which can stretch to almost 80 miles on a clear day. There is also a bigger deck on the 86th floor that offers 360 degree panoramas of the city. There are exhibits on lower floors that inform and entertain visitors with a range of topics from the history of the building, its construction, future plans of making it an eco friendly structure as well as a realistic replica of King Kong that growls and vibrates. Whether it be for its history, the views or the pop culture references, The Empire State Building should truly be visited by everyone at least once.