A rendering of World Trade Center Observatory
The observatory that will open at One World Trade Center just revealed its logo and ticket prices as it gets ready for a Spring 2015 launch. One World Observatory, on the 100th, 101st and 102nd floors, will charge $32 for admission for people ages 13 to 64, and there will also be dining options and a bar.
The observatory and its facilities will be 125,000 square feet, at 1,250 feet above ground. For children ages 6-12, the fee will be $26 (children five and under will be free but need a ticket); and senior admission (age 65+) will be $30. Complimentary admission will be offered to 9/11 family members and 9/11 rescue and recovery workers, while special discounts will be given to active and retired members of the U.S. military. (The Empire State Building charges $29 for the 86th floor main deck; $46 for access to both the main deck + the 102nd floor observatory.) Here’s what it will look like:
From a press release:
Positioned on top of the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere, on levels 100, 101, and 102 of the One World Trade Center building, One World Observatory will provide unique, panoramic views of New York City, its most iconic sites, and surrounding waters. A customized guest experience will complement the seemingly endless views – which evoke feelings of the city’s signature pride, hope and determination – and include exhibits and dining options, including a sit-down restaurant…
The experience will invite guests to explore all three levels, each equipped with the latest in innovative technology. Upon entry, guests will be greeted in the Welcome Center, where a large cutting-edge video board will display a personalized greeting in their native language. Guests will then proceed to a pre-show program, titled Voices of the Building that will incorporate first-person accounts describing the rise of One World Trade Center, and Foundations, which depicts and symbolizes the very bedrock upon which it stands. Visitors will board one of five dedicated elevators, termed Sky Pods, to ascend to the very top of the building in under 60 seconds. The elevators will feature three walls with floor-to-ceiling LED TVs, which will use immersive technology to display the rise and growth of New York City, simulating the skyline’s development through the present day.
The Sky Pod elevators, among the fastest in the world, will bring passengers directly to the See Forever™ Theater on the 102nd floor. The See Forever™ Theater will present a two-minute video presentation unlike any other, combining bird’s-eye imagery, time-lapse shots, and abstract textures and patterns to bring the unique rhythm and pulse of New York City to dramatic life in three dimensions.
The main observatory space on the 100th floor will include an interactive skyline “concierge” – City Pulse – that will connect guests closer to the landmarks and neighborhoods they observe across the city. Global ambassadors will be stationed at City Pulse to engage with guests, facilitate requests for more information and share stories of the city. Using gesture recognition technology, the ambassador—with the simple wave of a hand—will draw up relevant facts and real-time information on a circular band of display screens in front of the windows.
The 100th level also features the Sky Portal, where guests will be invited to step onto a 14-foot-wide circular disc in the floor for an unforgettable view (in live HD) of the city streets below.
One World Observatory will also offer three distinct dining options on the 101st floor available to guests with Observatory tickets, including seated fine dining to casual, on-the-go café fare, and a bar. Catering will be available on the 102nd floor, which will operate as a 9,300 square foot special event space with a maximum capacity of 330. The premier space will include floor-to-ceiling, uninterrupted views, high-end décor and an exclusive, customizable experience with a state-of-the-art sound system and HD projection capabilities.
One World Observatory also released video showing Instagram photos of One World Trade Center’s progress: to see it, please click here.
