9 Best Sights in New York, USA

Sky-high views dazzle visitors to the Top of the Rock, Rockefeller Center's famous, multifloor observation deck. Arrive presunset to watch New York's five boroughs (and New Jersey) morph into a dazzling wash of colors, casting magic-hour light on the Empire State and Chrysler Buildings, Central Park to the north, and World Trade Center towers to the south. Indoor exhibits include films of Rockefeller Center's history, a building model, and endless photo ops—including the Beam Experience, where you can re-create the famous 1932 "Lunch atop a Skyscraper" picture; and the Skylift compact, private elevator rising above the deck (each requires separate tickets).

Rapid elevators lift you to the 67th-floor interior viewing area, and then an escalator leads to the outdoor deck on the 69th floor for sightseeing through glass safety panels. Take another elevator or stairs to the 70th floor for a 360-degree, open-air NYC panorama on a deck that stretches nearly 200 feet long. You can opt for a general-admission ticket or the Rock's combo deal with other local attractions (like MoMA); or better still, save money across town by investing in a CityPASS or other NYC sightseeing pass. For Rock Center only, starting at $95, the Express Pass allows sunset entrance and ticket rescheduling (for poor weather or any other reason). Starting at $190, the VIP Pass includes expedited entry, a guided tour, Skylift and Beam Experience tickets, sparkling wine at the Weather Room café, and a gift-shop discount.

Taking you 1,210 feet and 93 floors above the heart of New York City, in part via an all-glass-enclosed elevator, NYC’s newest observation deck (opened in late 2021) "elevates" the observation deck concept, offering unique immersive and multisensory art installations amid three levels. Among them, the Air exhibit by Kenzo Digital evokes mirrored floors and ceilings to reflect and multiply the incredible skyline views of the Chrysler Building, the Empire State Building, and beyond. In fact, there are so many reflective surfaces in this experience that Summit recommends pants and sunglasses to protect your modesty and your eyes.

The 91st and 92nd floors are completely enclosed. The views are endless and even with crowds, it is easy to find an impressive selfie backdrop. After you have had your fill of spotting NYC rooftops and before you come back down to earth, linger a while longer at Après on the 93rd floor, where you can enjoy food, coffee, and cocktails on the wraparound terrace. Those who dare to go higher can try Ascent, the world’s largest exterior glass-floor elevator, which takes you up the outside of the building to its highest point.

An elevator whisks you up 589 feet to the 42nd-floor observation deck of this building, the tallest structure in the state outside New York City. The views on a clear day include the Berkshire, Catskill, and Adirondack mountains. To get to the deck, you first must present a photo ID at the plaza-level security desk.

Opened in 2020, Edge is the gleaming observation deck at the Hudson Yards development, and at 1,131 feet, it is the highest outdoor sky deck in the western hemisphere. Its angular floor juts out 80 feet from the tower's summit, wrapped in a clear wall, with a section of clear floor to watch the street traffic 100 stories below. The views here are a 360-degree panorama overlooking Central Park, the Empire State Building, the Statue of Liberty, and beyond. A staircase connects Floors 100 and 101, home to a gift shop and champagne bar (you can take your beverage outside and sit on the observatory's steps). Floor 101's posh Peak restaurant and cocktail bar is spectacular for a magical dining experience, with an outstanding menu; plus deck access is included for dining guests. Weekends bring special lounge DJs nights and live performances. Besides regular adult timed tickets, there are packages with extras, such as the Flex Pass ($60), which includes flexible-arrival-time tickets and a digital souvenir photo. For $185, courageous visitors can harness in and join City Climb, an outdoor aerial-walk experience that leans out over the 1,200-foot-high edge.

This small city park makes up for its little, albeit picnic-friendly lawn with a scenic pier, offering an unobstructed view of the Statue of Liberty, plus the cargo ships cruising up and down the Hudson River.

Ever since a carriage road and observation tower were created in 1882, intrepid souls have ventured to the 3,365-foot summit to take in the sweeping vistas of Delaware and Schoharie counties and the Berkshire, Green, Adirondack, and Catskill mountains. (It's a bone-rattling drive up a steep gravel road). A 1926 wooden observation tower is under renovation at this writing, as are the steel fire tower and hiking trails. According to local lore, the mountain takes its name from an American Indian princess who drowned herself in a lake after her father killed her white lover and their child; the princess is supposedly buried on the mountain.

There are several thrills involved in visiting One World Trade Center, the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere, not the least of which are the spectacular views of Manhattan, Brooklyn, and New Jersey. If you time your visit around dusk, you'll get daytime views as well as sunset and sparkling evening lights. The observatory occupies the 100th, 101st, and 102nd floors of One WTC, and the experience includes an exhilarating trip up in the world's fastest elevators, during which a journey through history is projected on the elevator walls. After you step out at the top, there's also a two-minute video of time-lapse images of Lower Manhattan. The ground floor has exhibits and personal stories about the building of the tower. Admission prices rise for "priority" entrance and other combo tickets (best bought online with timed entry); the box office, security checkpoint, and observatory entrance are on the West Street side of the tower. With some reservations, you can purchase prix-fixe dining or bar packages for ONE Dine restaurant on the 101st floor, which include observatory tickets.

Prospect Mountain Veterans Memorial Highway. The 5-mi corkscrew road takes you most of the way up 2,035-foot Prospect Mountain. From the parking lot it's just 100 feet to the summit, which you may reach via a shuttle. The views can stretch to 100 mi and take in up to five states, along with Lake George and the High Peaks region. You may also hike all the way up from the village.

The 282-foot-tall Prospect Point Observation Tower offers dramatic views of all three falls from an observation deck high above the gushing waters. When the Maid of the Mist is in operation, you can take a glass elevator to boat launch at the base of the tower.