SUMMIT One Vanderbilt Tickets: What to Expect at NYC’s Newest Observation Deck
SUMMIT One Vanderbilt just opened in late 2021, making it New York’s newest observation deck. Located at the top of a brand-new skyscraper, it’s quickly earning a reputation as New York’s best observation deck, and after visiting ourselves, we can see why!
SUMMIT One is a completely different experience than what you get at the other popular NYC Observation Decks, which include the Empire State Building, Top of the Rock, Edge, and One World Observatory. SUMMIT One is a multisensory immersive experience that blends elements of art, technology, architecture, and thrill with stunning 360° views of Manhattan.
This new NYC experience should not be missed, but before you book your Summit One Vanderbilt Tickets, keep reading to learn all about what to expect during your visit!
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What is SUMMIT One Vanderbilt?
SUMMIT One Vanderbilt is an observation deck located in Midtown Manhattan that offers 360° views of the city and the best view of the Empire State Building out of all the observation decks in New York.
The SUMMIT One Vanderbilt observation deck is made up of mirrored rooms, glass sky boxes, and interactive art installations. The floor-to-ceiling windows provide incredible views of the city as visitors are fully immersed in the art, creating a new way to experience an observation deck. Spread across three levels and multiple rooms, this is unlike anything you’ve ever seen before.
The first five rooms are referred to as Air. Each room offers a different perspective of the city. After you’re done experiencing Air, you’ll find an open-air deck on the top floor, an indoor/outdoor bar with incredible views of the city, and an all-glass elevator that will take you up 1,200 feet for sweeping views of Midtown, Lower Manhattan, and the Hudson River.
SUMMIT One Vanderbilt Tickets sell out fast, so be sure to buy them as soon as your plans are firm. We’ve seen these tickets sold out as far as a month in advance! Once you experience it for yourself, you’ll understand why this observation deck is so popular.
Where is SUMMIT One Vanderbilt?
SUMMIT One Vanderbilt is located at the top of the fourth tallest skyscraper in New York City, One Vanderbilt. It’s strategically located in the city’s premier business district, right next to Grand Central Terminal. The building offers a balanced mix of offices, restaurants, and public space. The observation deck is located on the top three floors.
This location was picked for two key reasons. There was a need to upgrade the area around Grand Central Terminal and there was a huge lack of office space in the Central Business District. After jumping through some Zoning and Airspace hoops, construction began in October 2016 and was finished nearly two months ahead of schedule in September 2019. The building officially opened to the public in September 2020, and the SUMMIT One Vanderbilt observation deck finally opened in October 2021.
The One Vanderbilt building was built with a great focus on sustainable design and operations. An impressive 75% of building materials used during construction were made of recycled materials. It also has a cogeneration system that generates electricity onsite, providing nearly half of the building’s electrical use. There’s even a rainwater collection system that catches and treats up to 150,000 gallons of rainwater, reducing the building’s water use by 40%.
How to Get to SUMMIT One Vanderbilt
The SUMMIT One Vanderbilt observation deck is located in the One Vanderbilt building, at the corner of E 42nd St and Madison Ave. The physical address is 1 Vanderbilt Ave, New York, New York 10017. It’s located right next to Grand Central Terminal (pictured above) in the Business District. It’s a short 10-minute walk from Time Square or a 12-minute walk from the Empire State Building.
The entrance to the observation deck is actually accessed from the ground floor of Grand Central Terminal. If you’re planning to use the subway, you can get here on the 4, 5, 6, 7, and S lines. You can also arrive on foot, or by bus, taxi, Uber, or Lyft. No matter how you arrive, you will need to go inside the Grand Central Terminal and look for the Vanderbilt Passage.
If we’re being honest, the entrance to SUMMIT One was really difficult to find. We asked no less than 5 people for directions within a matter of minutes. We originally tried to enter the building from the street, but several building employees directed us to Grand Central Terminal instead. By the time we did find our way, we had three other families eagerly following us, clearly lost too.
Once you’re standing in the Main Concourse of Grand Central, look for the hall that says Subway 42nd St. Follow the signs that say Vanderbilt until you’re inside the building. The entrance line will be to your left. Unfortunately, these vague directions are all we can offer. I wish we would have taken better note of how we got there, but we were turned around too many times to remember. Hopefully, signage will improve, but in the meantime, don’t be afraid to ask someone for directions.
Ticket Options for SUMMIT One Vanderbilt
SUMMIT One Vanderbilt Tickets can be purchased online from the SUMMIT One Vanderbilt Website or from Viator. There are three different ticket options to choose from:
- SUMMIT Experience: The SUMMIT Experience ticket is the same as a general admission ticket. This is the only ticket you need to experience SUMMIT One unless you want to do the glass elevator experience. Online tickets start at $43 for adults (13+) and $37 for youth (6 to 12). For sunset tickets, add an additional $10.
- SUMMIT Signature Experience: The SUMMIT Signature Experience is the same as the SUMMIT Experience but also includes a signature cocktail. Those under 21 years old get a mocktail. Online tickets start at $57 for adults and $51 for youth. For sunset tickets, add an additional $10.
- SUMMIT Ascent: The SUMMIT Ascent ticket is the SUMMIT Experience ticket plus a 12-story glass elevator ride. Online tickets start at $63 for adults and $57 for youth. For sunset tickets, add an additional $10.
Which ticket should you purchase? It really depends on your interests. Most visitors will find that the general admission ticket (SUMMIT Experience) is all they need. The glass elevator experience is nice, but if you’re only doing it for the views, it’s not worth the extra cost. The views don’t change much from what you already get with general admission. But if you’re interested in riding the elevator so you can say you’ve been on the highest glass elevator in the world, that’s a different story — and you should do it.
What to Expect at SUMMIT ONE Vanderbilt (With Pictures)
What to Expect When You Arrive
SUMMIT One’s entrance process can be a bit overwhelming if you don’t know what to expect. Instead of having visitors spend time waiting for the elevator ride to the top floors, you’ll notice much longer lines to get through security instead. Visitors are brought through security in groups of 15 – 20 and spaced out to prevent long elevator lines.
The wait to get through security will be the longest line of this experience. Once you’re finally at the front, you’ll show your tickets and pass through the security scanners. Then you’ll be handed a wristband with a QR code, which you’ll use to access the digital art experience that you’ll be passing through later.
Once you have your wristband, you’ll be routed to another line. When it’s your turn, you’ll be ushered into a small dark room with about 20 other visitors to watch a 2-minute promotional film. The film doesn’t have anything to do with the experience, but it’s done in a dramatic movie-like fashion and it is engaging (although it does feel like a delay tactic).
Once the film is over, you will exit the room and a staff member will have you stand on a mark on the floor to have your photo taken, which you can purchase later. We didn’t view our photo, so we’re not sure what the background image is. It’s likely not worth buying compared to the photos you’ll get once you’re on the observation floors.
What to Expect On Your Journey To The Elevator
After your photo op, you’ll be handed a pair of shoe covers and directed to a row of benches where you can sit and put them on. The shoe covers are to protect the mirrored floors that you’ll be walking on from getting scratched. They’re similar to a disposable shower cap and they’ll fit over any shoe.
Everyone must wear these shoe covers, there’s no way around it. Don’t worry about this at all though, they’re really easy to slip on and you won’t even notice them once you’re on the mirrored floors! If you think back to all the photos you’ve seen of this place since it opened — do you remember seeing shoe covers? Nope! They blend right in. It is important to note that stiletto heels, steel-toed boots, and sports cleats are not permitted here because of the mirrored floors.
Before you move on to the next area, you’ll pass a huge bin of disposable sunglasses. If you did not bring your own sunglasses, be sure to grab a pair because you’ll need them as soon as you get upstairs. The reflective materials used in the building will create an incredibly bright environment. Even with our polarized sunglasses, it took a bit for our eyes to adjust.
The next and last step before the elevator is to have your face scanned so the image can be used in the Unity room which you’ll walk through later. You’ll walk up to an open machine on the wall and scan your wristband’s QR code. Then you’ll follow the prompts and stand still while an image of your face is scanned.
What To Expect On The Elevator
Now, finally, you can head to the elevator in the next room. Because everyone is spaced out at the entrance, you likely won’t have to wait long at all. The quick elevator ride up to the 91st floor does not display digital screens like many of the other observation decks in the city. Instead, it’s made of mirrors and lights that put on a dramatic light show during the ride. If you’re sensitive to bright and flashing lights, this may be unpleasant — it’s similar to standing next to a strobe light.
Once you step out of the elevator, you’ll walk through a short walkway and into the first room of the experience. SUMMIT One is meant to be experienced in layers and designed to create the illusion of boundless space. You’ll make your way through five immersive rooms before reaching the top level, where you can grab a drink at the bar or ride an all-glass elevator up 1,200 feet above the city. Traffic only flows one way though, so be sure you’ve had your fill of each room before moving to the next.
Transcendence 1
Transcendence 1 is the first room you’ll experience. This is a completely mirrored room, besides the floor-to-ceiling windows displaying epic views of Manhattan. The floor reflects the ceiling, the ceiling reflects the floor, the walls reflect the skyline throughout the room, and the mirrored columns only add to the insanity.
The mirrors cause the sun to dance in every direction, so if you’re visiting during the day, you’ll need your sunglasses right away. The mirrors also play tricks on the eye and it can be disorienting at first. While the floor plan is completely open in this room, the ceiling is cut out in the middle, revealing another mirrored floor above (Transcendence 2), adding several more layers of reflection.
Once you stop trying to sort out what you’re actually looking at, you’ll notice the incredible view outside. This floor offers the best view of the Empire State Building in the entire city, in our opinion! You’ll see the Chrysler Building, Brooklyn, and Queens to your left and the Hudson River and New Jersey to your right.
Reflect
The next room is Reflect. This is a small and simple room with a calming art installation made of stainless steel called “Clouds” displayed in the center of the room. The room is located on the west side of the building, so you’ll have better views of Hudson Yards, the Hudson River, and New Jersey from here. You’ll also have a good view of another observation deck called Edge.
This was our least favorite room, although we did appreciate its intention of countering the sensory overload from the previous room. It’s a perfectly fine room, we just didn’t think it stood up to the creativity of the other rooms at SUMMIT One.
Affinity
Affinity is the next room you’ll experience. This was our favorite room to be in (although our favorite pictures are from Transcendence 2). Affinity is on the other side of the building, so from here, you’ll have an amazing view of Central Park.
The room is filled with silver balloons that cover the floor and ceiling and drift through the air. The room is mirrored just like Transcendence, creating the infinite illusion of silver balls. It’s interactive because you can pick the balls up and bat them around. We did hear the balloons can pop if you’re too rough, but we were pretty aggressive with them and never popped any.
Transcendence 2
Next, you’ll take the escalator up a level to Transcendence 2. This is the mirrored room that sits directly above Transcendence 1. The center of the room is open and you can see Transcendence 1 below. There are also circular openings called Portals that appear to be infinite tunnels when you look into them.
This was our favorite room for pictures. The reflections feel twice as dramatic as they did on the lower floor. The pictures from this level capture both floors in the shot, as opposed to the pictures from Transcendence 1, which only show reflections. You’ll also have the same great views as the Empire State Building that you did below but with even more of a twist.
Levitation
The next room is Levitation. This is where you’ll have the chance to step out on a glass-paneled ledge to view the city streets below. Two glass sky boxes with floor-to-ceiling windows and a glass floor jut out from the side of the building, floating 1,063 feet above the street.
We were asked to put our phones and cameras away for this part, so we complied. We were permitted to take a photo of the room itself first though. It’s completely up to you if you want to step into one of the sky boxes. If you’re not comfortable doing it, you’ll just pass through the room and onto the next. If you do try it, a staff member will offer to take your photo for purchase. They’ll scan the QR code on your wristband so you can take a look at the photos in the gift shop before leaving.
Unity
Next up is Unity. Before you enter the room, you’ll scan the QR code on your wristband. This will send the image you took of your face during the entrance process and turn it into a cloud on a massive screen that makes up one of the walls in this room. The floor and ceiling are mirrored here as well, and more windows wrap around the room to keep the incredible views going.
The large screen displays a continuous and dramatic loop of deep purple and blue clouds that seem to dance in waves. It’s captivating. Each wave produces a cloud face, which is supposed to match each visitor’s face based on their face scan. We looked so hard for our faces, but just couldn’t see ourselves in any of the clouds! All the faces we did see looked the same. We even filmed it and rewatched it later, and still couldn’t tell the difference between any of the faces.
Aprés
After Unity, you’ll take the escalator up to the third and final floor. The escalator leads right to Aprés, which is an indoor/outdoor cocktail bar and cafè. If you purchased a SUMMIT Signature Experience ticket, this is where you can order your cocktail. They also sell sandwiches, snacks, wine, and other non-alcoholic drinks.
Aprés has a couple of signature cocktails — the SUMMIT Sunset Margarita (made with Pear Liqueur, Pomegranate, and Cayenne) and the Vanderbilt #1 (made with Sweet Vermouth, Meletti Anisette, Coffee, Chocolate Bitters, and Brandied Cherry).
Ascent Elevator
When you’re done at Aprés, you’ll need to walk outside to the open-air sky deck to get to the last room. You’ll be greeted with fresh air and tall glass panels showing off the city below. The quiet rooftop is a welcome break after the sensory overload that you’ve just been through, especially if you didn’t take the time to decompress at Aprés.
When you’ve had your fill of fresh air, you’ll go through a set of revolving doors where you’ll find the all-glass elevator called Ascent. If you didn’t purchase the ticket that included the Ascent elevator ride, you’ll find the exit through the gift shop to your left. If you did purchase the ticket that includes the Ascent elevator ride, you’ll go to the right.
The two glass elevators are down a long hall. You’ll show your tickets and wait in line for your turn. We were the first ones there for the day so we didn’t wait at all and we had the elevator to ourselves! During peak times, you may wait up to 30 minutes and you will share the ride with other visitors. Once it’s your turn, you’ll walk onto the elevator for a 2-minute ride up the side of the building, where you’ll be suspended 1,200 feet in the air. It is an exciting experience but the view is not much different than what you’ve already seen, so it was not worth the additional fee, in our opinion.
What To Expect When You Exit
This is the last part of SUMMIT One Vanderbilt and you will exit through the gift shop from here. You’ll see a row of computer monitors on your way out — this is where you can view and purchase your photos. You can also keep your wristband and scan the QR code at any time to see and purchase the photos.
Once you’re through the gift shop you’ll take an escalator down to the elevators that will take you to the building’s exit. You’ll exit back into Grand Central Terminal.
Is SUMMIT One Vanderbilt Worth It?
So, is SUMMIT One Vanderbilt worth it? (SPOILER: the answer is yes!)
The general admission ticket is really all you need to experience everything that SUMMIT One has to offer and the ticket cost is less than most of the competing observation decks in Manhattan. SUMMIT One is also so interactive and immersive that even without the incredible views it would be worth doing. You’re really getting two amazing experiences with one ticket.
The views of Manhattan are also unparalleled. We think SUMMIT One offers the overall best views of Manhattan out of all the NYC observation decks. And it certainly offers the best views of the Empire State Building and the Chrysler Building.
We honestly can’t think of a single reason why you shouldn’t visit SUMMIT One Vanderbilt. So, YES, it’s absolutely worth it!
New York City Resources
- Need to book a place to stay for your trip to NYC? Head here to Booking.com.
- Interested in a CityPASS? Click Here to buy one.
- Trying to decide which Observation Deck to visit? Click Here for our guide.
- Ready to book your Harbor Lights Cruise? Click Here for tickets.
- Trying to figure out how the Subway system works? Check out This Site.
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