Empire State Building Exhibits

Yes, every Empire State Building Observation Deck ticket includes all nine galleries of immersive exhibits. There is no separate museum admission and nothing extra to reserve. The galleries sit on the route up, so you walk through them on your way to the deck.

Yes, you can skip the Empire State Building exhibits with an Express Pass. It routes you past the galleries for faster entry. Most guests take the standard route and see them on the way up.

The Empire State Building exhibits take most guests 30 to 45 minutes at a comfortable pace. Give yourself the longer end of that if you like photography or want time with the interactive displays, and the shorter end if you plan to head straight up for the view.

The Empire State Building exhibits run across the second and 80th floors. The second floor covers the building's history and how it was built, and the 80th turns outward to the city, with the tower lights, the Wiltshire panorama, and the viewfinders.

The Empire State Building Kong exhibit is in the museum galleries, where the ape's hands break through the wall of a 1930s office. They vibrate as he growls, and planes circle outside the windows the way they do in the 1933 film. It is a must for a memorable photo: the Empire State Building, as Kong's hands close in behind you.