Positioned toward the top of the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere, New York's One World Observatory should offer visitors an amazing view of New York City and the surrounding area. It's set to open to the general public on May 29 and will cost adults US$32 per ticket.
There's a little more to the One World Observatory than just a big window at the top of the One World Trade Center – as you'd hope for $32 a ticket – and it comprises a total of three floors. Visitors will start at the Global Welcome Center featuring a world map and then view some presentations that tell the story behind the tower and those who built it.
Visitors will then take a sub 60-second ride in the so-called "Sky Pods" elevators to the 102nd floor, where they will find the See Forever Theater. The Sky Pods feature floor-to-ceiling LEDs that recreate New York City’s skyline from the 17th Century to the present in a time-lapse, while the theater shows yet another presentation. The 101st floor is wholly given over to restaurants, and features a total of three dining areas.
The Main Observatory is situated on the 100th floor, over 381 m (1,250 ft) above street level, and boasts an interactive skyline view, dubbed City Pulse. Staff will be stationed under a ring of HD monitors and outfitted with gesture recognition gear to provide guests with close-up views of the skyline and recommendations of what to cast their gaze upon.
The Main Observatory also includes something called the Sky Portal, which is a 4.2 m (14 ft)-wide circular disc that visitors step onto and watch real-time, high-definition footage of the streets below.
The video below offers a virtual tour around the One World Observatory.
Source: One World Observatory
