How the Empire State Building Observatory became No. 1

The Empire State Building is nobody’s idea of a hidden gem. The 1,472-foot Art Deco landmark of stone and steel dominates the streetscape and world view of New York City—and all of pop culture. From King Kong’s battle with biplanes to the annual ESB Run-Up to its iconic 86th Floor Observatory, the “World’s Most Famous Building” is both myth and monolith.

This alone could not have explained what happened last June, though: The Empire State Building Observatory Experience was ranked the No. 1 attraction in the world in Tripadvisor’s 2024 Travelers’ Choice Awards: Best of the Best Things to Do. At 93 years young, the skyscraper became ostensibly the top attraction on the planet.

This was not the work of an algorithm, or even Swiftonomics (though Taylor did once pay a visit). Rather, the ranking took root in a multiphase, design-led transformation of the Observatory Experience, fueled by the recognition that spaces and places must evolve to meet people’s shifting relationships across physical, digital, and immersive realms.

This might seem like an isolated success, with few applicable lessons beyond the museums and attractions sector. But since we and our creative partners at Journey, Thinc Design, and Beneville Studios completed the $165 million reimagination of the Observatory Experience, we have come to appreciate lessons that any brand, in any sector, can adopt to deepen connections with their customers. Here are four that (wait for it) rise to the top.

1. REANIMATE YOUR STORY

As we began our building-wide modernization work in 2008, we thought creatively beyond the building itself—more specifically, the international brand and relevance of the concept of the Empire State Building.

We could have hung archival photos or played King Kong on a loop in our galleries. Instead, we chose to immerse visitors in the lore and complexity of this singular structure.

Key moments from its construction, its place in popular culture, and its industry-leading deep energy retrofit became onramps to immersive storytelling. Rather than watch two-dimensional, black-and-white footage of Kong 102 stories above the city streets, we welcome visitors to climb into his fist as he zooms in close, nostrils flared. Visitors don’t pore over lengthy exhibit descriptions; they peer inside coin-operated-style viewfinders and observe vendors hawking five-cent apples and traffic officers directing streetcars that trundle through the frame.

Banks, retailers, museums, healthcare clinics—they all contain powerful stories that, through smart, tactical applications of design and technology, could forge stronger connections to the people they serve.

2. GET MULTIDIMENSIONAL

How many times must we read about the blurring lines between physical and digital? Our collaboration spun off a more instructive idea: Rather than blur lines, build linkages.

The physical and digital components of the reimagined Observatory Experience address every dimension of human interaction. Those viewfinders set this principle to motion. Peering through them, visitors become participants in a nearly century-old scene that slipped the bounds of time. That sensation is far more powerful than any discreet piece of hardware or software.

Brands should take a cue and combine their digital and physical assets in ways that create transformative new experiences. Fifth Avenue is hardly a galaxy far, far away. That didn’t stop a Star Wars villains-inspired experience from taking over the Empire State Building last year. Fittingly, The Empire Strikes Back played on the 80th floor while life-size LEGO statues of Darth Vader and Darth Maul beckoned selfie-takers. An unoccupied space at the base of the building housed a fully immersive Hasbro takeover that thrilled die-hard fans. Through it all, host and guests derived value—and had a blast.

When an IP as exhaustively excavated as Star Wars can build new linkages across the fan experience by showing up in unexpected ways (and places), it is a clear sign that most brands can, and should, as well.

3. DON’T BREAK NEW GROUND

We began with an assessment of underutilized sectors on our second and 80th floors; the queue areas for Observatory-bound elevators; and even the elevators themselves. Here, for the better part of a century, lay the seeds of a completely reimagined visitor experience—a sort of prequel to the views on the 86th and 102nd floors. Developers might derisively call this “creative reuse,” but as we recontextualized these assets, we did more than fill space; we opened new portals of experience and immersion.

How many department stores have elevators or escalators? Through the creative application of technology and design, these can become dynamic, immersive vessels for brand storytelling and wayfinding that produce tighter bonds between store and customer. No elevators or escalators? Convert underutilized space into zones of experimentation that help dimensionalize the experience.

4. TAKE THE LONG VIEW

A funny thing happens nowadays when visitors finally reach the Observatory floors. Spectacular views used to be the main course, but since we inaugurated the new visitor experience, they feel like the cherry on top. Despite the still-breathtaking sightlines, you know where many of our visitors now tag their Instagram snaps? With Kong, 84 floors below, as well as with statues of brave men who built the building in the immersive exhibit dedicated to their work. Talk about your internal pivots.

Perhaps this is the most powerful lesson of all: A brand never has to “top out.” If we redefined how people experience 365,000 tons of stone, glass, and steel, imagine what you can do for your brand.

Andrew Zimmerman is CEO and a cofounder of Journey. Anthony E. Malkin is chairman and CEO of Empire State Realty Trust, Inc.

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