You can't miss the Rockefeller Center, it is literally a must-stop every time you visit. It is not just one tourist attraction, but several.
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Rockefeller Center is the beating cultural heart of New York City and also an architecturally exceptional complex spread over almost 25 acres, with all the buildings professing a unified modernist style.
What can you find at Rockefeller Center?
In the vast complex of 19 buildings, you can enjoy attractions such as:
- Top of The Rock Observation Deck
- The Channel Gardens
- NBC Studios
- Radio City Music Hall
- The Prometheus Statue Ice Rink
- Christmas tree during Christmas
Viewpoint Top of the Rock
The highlight is of course the Top of The Rock overlook, which we think is the best ever in New York City. Top of the Rock can be enjoyed from the indoor floor with a cafe and from the outdoor terrace, where you can enjoy a beautiful 360° view.
And why is Top of the Rock the best in New York? It's located atop the 32nd tallest building in New York, the famous 30 Rockefeller Plaza, but its 260 metres of height is enough for great views of the whole of Manhattan.
Moreover, Rockefeller Center doesn't stand out as much for its beauty as for its utility, so there's no need to enjoy the view itself. From here you can see New York's most iconic skyscrapers like the Empire State Building, the Chrylser Building and the distant One World Trade Center. At the same time, you'll have the world's tallest residential forest in the palm of your hand on the southern edge of Central Park.
Admission and opening hours
Open daily from 9:00 am to 11:00 pm (last admission at 10:10 pm).
Admission is 40 usd + fees, or $43 .55. Tickets for the period during sunset, which is the most desirable, go for 53,55 usd.
Tickets do not need to be ordered in advance, at least until the time you would like for the exposed time around sunset. To purchase, go to: topoftherocknyc.com/buy-tickets.
NBC Studios
NBC Studios offers behind-the-scenes tours of one of the largest television companies in the world. Hour-long tours are held weekdays from 8:20am to 2pm and weekends from 8:20am to 5pm. The cost is $33 + tax and it is recommended to book your ticket in advance at: thetouratnbcstudios.com.
Radio City Music Hall
Radio City Music Hall is a concert venue that regularly does backstage for the most famous shows and performances. Visit: radiocity.com/calendar.
Channel Gardens and ice rink
Check out the other three attractions for free. The gardens perpendicularly face the ice rink. This has a unique atmosphere, especially during the Christmas season, when New York's most famous Christmas tree, which has starred in several movies, is on display.
Accommodation at Rockefeller Center
The area of Midtown where the center stands is extremely lucrative and is practically the main hub of New York City. So be prepared for higher prices starting at 202 eur per night. Right within the Rockefeller Center complex, you have a choice of these hotels ranging from 183 eur to 257 eur.
History of Rockefeller Center
Wealthy industrialist, businessman, banker and oil tycoon John D. Rockefeller initiated a monumental mixed-use project in the late 20th century that was to become one of the focal points of the dramatic redevelopment of Manhattan.
The first building foundations began in 1931 and the first section was completed in 1939. All of the buildings and components of Rockefeller Center are designed in the Art Deco style.
After Rockefeller's death, his son John D. Rockefeller Jr., who further expanded it between 1953 and 1973. His main idea was to create the Rockefeller Center as a large entertainment and educational complex focusing mainly on television production, and this is still the case today.
Photos of Lunch atop a Skyscraper
By the way, one of the most famous photographs in the world, called Lunch atop a Skyscraper, dates from the construction period (1932).
It shows 11 workers having lunch on a steel beam 260 metres above the ground and was taken from the 66th floor of the then-new RCA Building, one of the skyscrapers on Rockefeller Plaza.
How to get to the Rock Center?
The Rockefeller complex is located in a part of Manhattan called Midtown and is bounded by 6th Avenue and the famous 5th Avenue. You can also walk to Central Park or Times Square within 15 minutes.
Nearest subway station
- 47-50 Sts/Rockefeller Center (approx. 50 meters) - Orange Line B, D, F, M
- 5th Ave/53 St (approx. 150 metres) - orange line M and blue line E
- 49 St (approx. 250 metres) - yellow lines N, R, W
The M1, M2, M3, M4, Q32, X27, X28, X37, X38 buses also run along Fifth Avenue in close proximity to downtown, while the M5 and M7 buses run along Sixth Avenue. Across from west to east, the M50 local line runs.
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