Empire State Building Opens New Exhibits On Skyscraper's History

MIDTOWN MANHATTAN, NY — New exhibits detailing the history of the Empire State Building opened to the public Monday in the latest phase of a $165 million project to overhaul the skyscraper's visitor experience.

A 10,000-square-foot space on the Empire State Building's second floor is now home to exhibits that track the building's evolution from a plan to one of the world's most recognizable buildings. Visitors will pass through the exhibit galleries on the way to the Empire State Building's observatory on the 86th floor.

"While the views from the 86th Floor Observatory are world-famous, the Empire State Building has a rich history filled with exciting events and innovative projects that we are now able to share via our new second floor exhibits," Anthony E. Malkin, Chairman and CEO of Empire State Realty Trust, said in a statement.

Exhibits cover a number of topics such as the skyscraper's construction, efforts to maximize energy efficiency within the building, current-day office tenants and amenities, the Empire State Building's starring role in the film "King Kong" and a gallery dedicated to the famous people who have visited the skyscraper over the years.

The Empire State Building Realty Trust is spending $165 million to improve the experience of visiting the Fifth Avenue skyscraper's observatory. A new entrance to the observatory was completed in 2018 to separate the 4.2 million annual observatory visitors from the building's office tenants.