NY Top of the Rock at Night

New York shines at night - literally! Contemplating the city's night scenery is a great plan, especially if you do it from a place as iconic as the Top of the Rock. Do you feel like it?

Isabel Catalán

Isabel Catalán

9 min read

NY Top of the Rock at Night

Night views of the Top of the Rock | ©Sven Becker

New York at night is enjoyed in a different way, especially if you can see it in all its splendor in the heart of Manhattan from a place as privileged as the Top of the Rock.

Climbing to the Top of the Rock at night is one of the most exciting experiences you can live during your stay in the Big Apple. Leave aside the vertigo and dare to take the pulse of the "city that never sleeps" from the heights.

You'll see the Empire State Building illuminated like never before and much more. Here's why it's worth visiting the Top of the Rock at night.

How much does it cost to see the Top of the Rock at night?

Empire State Building from the Top of the Rock| ©Jorge Gobbi
Empire State Building from the Top of the Rock| ©Jorge Gobbi

Enjoy the New York skyline at dusk is as simple as buying your tickets to the Top of the Rock and book a night schedule on the date you decide to make your visit. From 35 € you can buy a ticket without queues for the viewpoint of Rockefeller Plaza.

The best option is to buy online tickets to the Top of the Rock, and is that this observatory is one of the most emblematic of Manhattan next to the Empire State and usually form long lines at the box office to get tickets.

There you can get tickets from about 35 euros but given the huge influx of people that piles up around it you run the risk of not being able to book the night schedule because there is no availability. After sunset, dusk is a very desirable time for tourists to contemplate the Big Apple from above.

Buy your tickets for the Top of the Rock

How late is the Top of the Rock open at night? Evening hours

Inside the building before enjoying the view| ©Nick Night
Inside the building before enjoying the view| ©Nick Night

Top of the Rock is open every day of the week and year from 10 AM to 10 PM. Pretty flexible hours, which is perfect for tourists as it allows you to go up to the observation deck of Rockefeller Center virtually any time of the day and well into the night. We still recommend that you buy your tickets for the Top of the Rock online to avoid queues.

However, if before visiting the Top of the Rock at night you want to see other tourist attractions in the area, remember that the last elevator available is the one at 9:10 PM. Keep this in mind when planning your sightseeing for the day so you don't miss out.

If you visit New York at Christmas time, going to Rockefeller Center during the holiday season will not only give you the best views of the city, but will also give you plenty to see around it: the skating rink, the Christmas tree...

When does the evening hours start at the Top of the Rock?

In all New York skyscrapers, the evening hours start at sunset, which means that this time varies throughout the year and in each season.

So, for example, during the winter in New York it gets dark around 4:30 PM while in the summer in New York the sun does not set until 8:30 PM. Knowing this information about sunset and dusk beforehand will help you plan your evening visit to the Top of the Rock in detail.

Buy your tickets for the Top of the Rock

What are the nighttime views from the Top of the Rock like?

Night View of New York City from the Top of the Rock| ©Mack Male
Night View of New York City from the Top of the Rock| ©Mack Male

It's hard to find words to describe that moment when you have New York at your feet, you have to experience it! To contemplate it at night from a bird's eye view is a marvel because it gives us the opportunity to have a unique perspective of the city that never sleeps.

As the sun sets, the stars will gradually appear, but it is not the sky that will capture your attention at the top of the Top of the Rock (even if you feel closer to it), but the beautiful cityscape that will spread before you dotted with small colored lights that adorn the Big Apple.

If you decide to buy your tickets for the Top of the Rock, when you go up at night you will feel you are in a privileged place. From the observatories on the 67th, 69th and 70th floors you will have a magnificent 360º view of Manhattan and you will discover the soul of New York through the skyscrapers that rise on the horizon.

One of them is the Empire State whose silhouette can be seen perfectly from here and at night it shines in a special way. It may be a little more difficult to identify other tourist attractions in the distance at night, but if you pay attention and look carefully, from the viewpoint of the Top of the Rock you can also see them:

In short, seeing New York at night from the top of this jewel of American Art Deco is magical. The icing on the cake to a sensational day on the streets of the Big Apple.

Buy your tickets for the Top of the Rock

Can you climb the Top of the Rock at night with children?

Breezeway Room with LED Lights| ©Ansel Adams
Breezeway Room with LED Lights| ©Ansel Adams

Of course you can! The little ones will love this experience. First, by taking one of the skyscraper's Sky Shuttle elevators, which will transport them at the speed of light to the top of 30 Rockefeller Plaza in less than a minute. 260 meters in less than 60 seconds will seem like magic!

Then, in the observatory, they will be amazed when they discover how high they are and see the immense New York night skyline lit up by thousands of colored lights.

And finally, playing a little in the Breezeway room with the LED lights that move as visitors pass by, it will be a beautiful souvenir of the trip that they will never forget!

Buy your tickets for the Top of the Rock

Why is it worth going up to the Top of the Rock at night?

Top of the Rock sightseeing glasses| ©Mack Male
Top of the Rock sightseeing glasses| ©Mack Male
  • Climbing to the Top of the Rock at night will allow you to see the Big Apple from above as you've never seen it before. You will have the feeling of being on top of the world and everything will be tiny and colossal at the same time. It's amazing!
  • From the observatory you will have the best panoramic view of New York at night and you will be able to contemplate the Empire State illuminated in all its splendor. You will not regret buying your tickets to visit this place. Everything looks so beautiful from a privileged place like this! You won't get tired of taking pictures!
  • In this sense, going up to the Top of the Rock at night will allow you to record a lot of souvenir videos and take amazing pictures with all of New York illuminated in the distance. It's a very romantic moment.
  • Another reason to go to the Top of the Rock at night is that after dark there are usually far fewer visitors at the observatory, as the peak of the day is at sunset. At night there is no hustle and bustle at the lookout. Everything is quiet and silence reigns. In some moments you will even feel like you are alone up there, as if it were a private visit.
  • And finally, a night visit to the Top of the Rock is worth it because you will have the whole day free to make other plans without haste and finally close a day of sightseeing in New York in style (never better said!).

Buy your tickets for the Top of the Rock

Tips for going up to the Top of the Rock at night

Couple at the Top of the Rock| ©Pascale Amez
Couple at the Top of the Rock| ©Pascale Amez
  • The Top of the Rock is one of the main tourist attractions in New York so if you want to avoid the queues at the ticket booths of the observation deck, I advise you to buy online in advance a skip-the-line ticket to the Top of the Rock.
  • To organize the night visit to the Top of the Rock, when booking the time of the visit remember that it opens every day and closes at 10 PM, with the last elevator going up to the observatory at 9:10 PM.
  • If you have already purchased your tickets to climb the Top of the Rock as a family and the children are still small, I advise you to make the night visit as soon as possible so they do not get too tired, because the next day they will have to get up early and be fresh to continue exploring New York.
  • Take advantage of the visit to the Top of the Rock to have a few drinks afterwards at the Sixty-Five Bar at 30 Rockefeller Plaza. You'll find it on the 65th floor, below the observation deck. It's a great place to continue enjoying the views of Manhattan and put the finishing touch to a very special day in the city.
  • When visiting the Top of the Rock in the evening, you're likely to leave the observation deck late. Don't worry, this is not an obstacle for not making the night visit because the New York subway runs 24 hours and you can quickly return to your hotel. I tell you how you can get to and from the observatory in the post How to get to the Top of the Rock.
  • Taking pictures from the Top of the Rock at night is a temptation you can't resist, but there's a trick to getting them right if you're not an expert photographer. To get beautiful images despite the low light, I advise you to activate the night mode of your camera, use the shutter release to avoid blurred images or set the ISO to 400.

Buy your tickets for the Top of the Rock

Is it possible to use a tourist card to go up to the Top of the Rock at night?

Top of the Rock tickets| ©HelloTickets
Top of the Rock tickets| ©HelloTickets

That's right! If you are thinking about getting a tourist pass to make the most of your trip to New York and you would like to use it to climb to the Top of the Rock at night you are in luck because from 65€ you can find options that include the visit to this Rockefeller Center observatory such as the New York Explorer Pass, the New York Pass, the New York CityPASS or the New York Sightseeing Pass.

In the post The best tourist card in New York you have more information about the different tourist passes that exist in the Big Apple. I recommend you take a look at it because I'm sure it will help you choose yours.

How does the tourist card work at the Top of the Rock?

When you go to the Top of the Rock with the tourist card that includes this attraction you will have to go to the ticket office to exchange it for a voucher. At that moment you can choose whether to access the observatory at the next available time or, if it suits you better, choose a date and time for another day. It's that simple!

Let's see all the tourist passes that allow you to go up to the Top of the Rock

  • New York Explorer Pass
  • From $84
  • You will be able to climb the Top of the Rock
  • Access to over 80 attractions
  • Duration 60 days
  • Book
  • New York Pass
  • From $153
  • Climb to the Top of the Rock
  • Access to over 100 attractions
  • Duration from 1 to 10 days
  • Book
  • New York CityPASS
  • From $146
  • Climb to the Top of the Rock
  • Access to 6 attractions
  • Duration 9 days
  • Book
  • New York Sightseeing Pass
  • From $79
  • Climb to the Top of the Rock
  • Access to 100 attractions
  • Duration from 1 to 10 days
  • Book

Frequently asked questions

  • How much do tickets to the Top of the Rock Overlook cost?

    The box office price is usually around 35 euros, but you also have the possibility to buy tickets online and without queues for around 42 euros.

  • Are there night tickets?

    There are no night tickets. Tickets are the same at any time, i.e., there is no night shift. What is recommended is to watch the sunset from this viewpoint to enjoy the lights and the New York skyline at night. It is for this reason that the influx of tourists is much higher at dusk. Note that the Top of the Rock is open every day of the week and year: from 10am to 10pm.

  • Is it possible to go up with children at night?

    Of course, it is allowed to go up with children. If you decide to do it and they are still small, it is advisable to make the night visit as soon as possible so that they are not too tired.