Empire State Building New York's famous Empire State Building is a New York City landmark and a national historic landmark, soars more than a quarter of a mile into the atmosphere above the heart of Manhattan. See the beautiful view of New York City from the famous Observatory on the 86th floor. The Observatory offers panoramic views from within a glass enclosed pavilion and from the surrounding open-air promenade. Since the Observatory opened to the public in 1931, almost 100 million visitors have been thrilled by the awe-inspiring vision of the city beneath them.