EMPIRE STATE BUILDING

The Empire State Building, the most famous skyscraper in the world, was constructed in 1931 at the site of the original Waldorf-Astoria Hotel.  The newly-built skyscraper opened after the Great Depression and had such difficulty finding tenants that it was nicknamed the "Empty State Building." 

The skyscraper, along with the Chrysler Building and the Metropolitan Life Insurance Building, dominated the Manhattan skyline until the World Trade Center's twin towers were completed in the 1970s.  On a sunny and clear day, the view from the top of this 1250 feet tall building (with an overall height of 1454 feet including its broadcasting antenna) encompasses 80 miles.  After 9/11, the building once again became the tallest one in Manhattan.  On April 30, 2012, the long awaited Freedom Tower at One World Trade Center reached 1271 feet surpassing the Empire State building. 

The first light on the top of the building was a searchlight beacon that announced the election of Franklin D. Roosevelt as President on November 1932.  The current tradition of color-theme lights on the Empire State’s towers was introduced to celebrate the American Bicentennial (red/white/blue) in 1976.  An advanced LED system of lighting allows the colors of LED fixtures to be manipulated by computers and to create various lighting effects of rainbows, ripples, and burst effects with a palette of 16 million breathtaking colors. The lighting effect is accomplished by lighting the 1,336 light fixtures on the 72 to 102nd floors of the building.  The tradition has continued and the lighting frequently changes colors to celebrate occasions ranging from United Nations Day (blue/white/white), Oscar week (gold), Earth Day (green/blue/blue) to the Stonewall Anniversary/Gay Pride Week (lavender/lavender/white).   

A new ring of sodium vapor lights was installed in 1984 to create a golden halo appearance around the mooring mast (first used for dirigibles) – at the very tip of the building­.  The lights are turned off during the fall migration season of birds because they confuse the birds. 

According to the National Weather Bureau, the Empire State Building is struck by lighting approximately 25 times per year.  The building and its observation deck have undergone a renovation in recent years.  A glass-walled observation point with eight feet tall windows is now on its uppermost floor.  There are new displays as well as an interactive itinerary system for helping tourists plan their visit to the Big Apple.      

The Empire State Building is still the most famous skyscraper in the world and one of the most visited!