Best Time to Visit the Empire State Building (2026)

The Empire State Building by day and hour. BestTime forecasts.

Empire State Building busyness by day

Busyness is shown as a percentage of the building's own busiest hour of the week (100%), not a head count. Values in brackets are the busyness at that hour.

The widget below shows every hour of the Empire State Building's typical week.

Best time of day to visit

The Empire State Building is a 102-story Art Deco tower in Midtown Manhattan. It has two observation decks: the open-air 86th floor Main Deck and the glass-enclosed 102nd floor Top Deck.

On weekdays the pattern is fast. Busyness climbs from 9 AM to the midday peak at 12 PM. On Friday it goes from 50% at 9 AM to 100% at 12 PM. On Tuesday it rises from 55% to 95% over the same hours.

Weekday afternoons stay high. On Thursday, busyness holds at 90% from 2 PM to 6 PM. On Monday it sits at 80% from 12 PM to 6 PM.

The weekend runs on a later clock. Saturday builds from 40% at 9 AM to its peak of 95% at 6 PM and 7 PM. Sunday peaks at 75% from 5 PM to 7 PM.

Evenings ease off every day. At 10 PM, the last hour with measurable visits, busyness is 30% on Wednesday, 35% on Monday, Tuesday and Sunday, 40% on Thursday, and 50% on Friday and Saturday.

What the Empire State Building itself advises. The official site says the building is usually busiest in the first two hours after opening and the hour after sunset. It suggests 12 PM to 2 PM for fewer crowds. Our forecast differs here. In a typical week, 12 PM to 2 PM includes the daily peak on every weekday, including 100% on Friday. The forecast agrees that evenings can be busy, with Saturday peaking at 6 PM and 7 PM.

Weekdays vs weekends

Weekdays average 75% and the weekend averages 70%. Friday is the main driver, averaging 85% and holding the busiest slots of the week, 12 PM and 1 PM. Sunday is the calmest day at 60%. Saturday, at 75%, matches Tuesday.

Best time of year to visit

Holidays and summer weekends can bring bigger crowds. Winter is usually quieter, apart from the Christmas period. The open-air deck can be very cold and windy then, though heaters are put on it in winter.

Nearby alternatives

Top of The Rock. Top of The Rock follows a different week. Its busiest slots are Tuesday at 12 PM and 1 PM, and its quietest day is Sunday. On Friday it reaches its own daily peak of 85% at 1 PM and 2 PM, so it is no escape at Friday midday. 8 AM is its quietest daytime hour on every day, down to 15% on Sunday. It has no closed day in our forecast.

SUMMIT One Vanderbilt. SUMMIT's busiest slots are Saturday at 7 PM and 8 PM, so avoid it on Saturday evening. Its quietest day is also Sunday, and 8 AM is its calmest hour, at 20% on Saturday and Sunday. It has no closed day in our forecast.

Plan your visit

• Go on Sunday and arrive for 9 AM, when busyness is 30%.
• On a weekday, plan for the evening. At 9 PM on Wednesday busyness is 45%.
• Avoid Friday from 12 PM to 3 PM, when busyness stays at 95% to 100%.
• The AM/PM Experience ticket lets you visit during the day and come back the same night.
• You need a ticket for either deck, and hours change by season. Check the official site on the day you go.

How we measured

These numbers are BestTime forecasts, built from anonymized, aggregated phone location data combined with real-world signals such as weather, events and holidays. Busyness is shown as a percentage of the building's own busiest hour of the week (100%), not a head count. The forecast describes a typical week and does not account for seasons, holidays, special events or queues. Read more about how the forecasts work.

Next steps

• Find quiet hours for more landmarks in the free New York City sightseeing guide.
• Browse all busy times guides.
• Compare timing with our guide to the best time to visit Top of the Rock.
• Add a museum with the best time to visit the Met.
• Plan your evening with New York nightlife busy times.