If you follow my Instagram stories, you’ll know I recently made a trip to One World Observatory. Positioned next to the 9/11 memorial, this attraction is a combination of a memorial and an education on the history of New York. I personally had never been to the One World Observatory before for a few reasons. One, it is a major tourist attraction and two, it is a somber place to visit if you think about it. I also worked inside the Oculus, (the white dove looking building) when it was just opening and have seen pretty much all there is to see. Which I’m guessing is how a lot of people who work or live in NYC or who have in the past feel. Although we tend to stay as far away from tourist attractions during the day-to-day, I always encourage locals of NY and the overall tri-state to venture at least once into the tourist attractions. Why should the tourists be the only ones experiencing the sick views the city has to offer? Let the jaded NY’er inside you take a break for a moment. That’s exactly what I did when I took a friend with me to see the One World Observatory.
Getting There and What Happens Once There
To get to the One World Observatory I went through the Oculus, which has an entrance near the connection to Brookfield Place. Once we entered our temperatures were checked and we went through security. Next is a stop at the Global Welcome center where a wall with a globe shows you stats of visitors and of the One World Observatory. A walk through a pathway of bedrock is lit up with extra information on the construction of the One World Observatory and pays homage to the Twin Towers. This leads to the Skypod elevators where a guide tells you there will be a video inside on your way up. The elevators go 102 floors up in 47 seconds while the video you watch is a high-speed timeline of how New York came to be. Next is a stop at the See Forever Theatre where you watch a video of everyday New Yorkers going about their day in the city. At the end of the video, the screen raises revealing an incredible view of the city. You are then given a Digital Skyline Guide to guide you through your self-guided tour of the observatory.
Make sure you raise the Digital Skyline Guide to the windows you are facing each time to learn about the buildings you’re looking at. While there we just so happened to sit down in front of the City Pulse circle when the guide was getting ready to make her presentation. We had not realized that was going to happen, so I encourage you to pay attention to the times they put up for presentations. The guide gave a historical account of not only NYC, but on the tri-state area, and on topics like what you can see and do in the city. I found the presentation full of information that was new to me, along with some that I already knew. So I encourage you to stay and watch the City Pulse presentation even if you’ve spent your life in the city.
General Info
It’s important to note that I bought the $38 general admission ticket which lets you see the two levels and gives you the Digital Skyline Guide. If you want perks like a guided tour, priority entrance, and a more flexible timeline to get there, there are pricier tickets. They also host parties for up to 10 people, group trips, and if your significant other has the cash, private proposal options. You can also grab something to drink at the Savor Illy Caffe & Gelateria or dine at the restaurant, One Dine located inside. Make sure to make a reservation for One Dine beforehand if you want to eat there.
Have you been to the One World Observatory? Let me know in the comments or on social media. If you liked this post please subscribe for more like this and please save or share. Every interaction with my blog and the content I create is appreciated. It also helps content creators grow their businesses. Thank you!-T.S.
What do you think?