Empire State Building

20 Fun Facts about the Empire State Building

1. Location: The Empire State Building rises in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, at the intersection of Fifth Avenue and West 34th Street. It is centrally positioned between Herald Square and Bryant Park.
2. Significance: From 1931 to 1970, the Empire State Building stood as the tallest building in the world, reaching 381 meters to the roof. In 1970, it lost this title to the World Trade Center. To this day, it remains one of the most iconic skyscrapers worldwide and one of New York’s most important landmarks, with its observation decks welcoming up to 4 million visitors each year for breathtaking panoramic views across New York City.
3. Predecessor Structure: In the 19th century, elegant townhouses owned by the wealthy Astor family occupied this site, their fortune built largely on John Jacob Astor’s fur trade and later on highly successful real estate investments in New York. In 1893, the luxurious Waldorf Hotel opened here and quickly became one of Manhattan’s leading social centers. In 1897, the Astoria Hotel was added next door, and together they formed the Waldorf Astoria complex with around 1,300 rooms, at times considered the largest hotel in the world. On May 3, 1929, the historic property closed, was sold, and subsequently demolished to make way for the Empire State Building.
4. Construction History: The concept for the Empire State Building took shape in 1929, when entrepreneur John Jacob Raskob envisioned a skyscraper that would be commercially successful while surpassing all existing height records. He commissioned the architectural firm Shreve, Lamb & Harmon, which created a clearly structured, highly functional design that maximized rentable office space. Construction began on March 17, 1930, and was completed in just about 13.5 months. The building officially opened on May 1, 1931, and immediately became a symbol of technological progress, efficiency, and the enduring optimism of the New York skyline.
5. Historical Context: In the late 1920s, New York was swept up in the so-called “Race into the Sky,” a prestigious competition to construct the tallest building in the world, involving projects such as the Chrysler Building and 40 Wall Street. The design of the Empire State Building was revised several times, increasing its height from an original plan of around 305 meters to a final 381 meters in order to secure the world record.
6. Architecture: The Empire State Building is a steel frame structure designed in the Art Deco style, built from around 57,000 tons of steel, approximately 47,500 cubic meters of concrete, and 10 million bricks, all clad in a façade of light limestone and granite. Its distinctive stepped form is the result of the 1916 New York zoning laws, giving the tower its slender, clearly articulated silhouette. Inside, the Art Deco aesthetic is especially striking in the grand lobby, with its marble surfaces, metallic accents, and gold toned ceiling details.
7. Opening Ceremony: On May 1, 1931, the Empire State Building was officially inaugurated. US President Herbert Hoover switched on the building’s lights remotely from Washington at the press of a button, creating nationwide media attention. More than 350 invited guests attended the celebration, and the luncheon held on the 86th floor became known as the “highest luncheon in the world.”
8. Difficult Early Years: In the years following its opening, many offices in the Empire State Building remained vacant, earning it the ironic nickname “Empty State Building.” To give the impression of occupancy, lights were deliberately left on in unrented floors. It was not until the 1940s that occupancy rates rose significantly, turning what had once been considered a struggling project into a commercially successful and vibrant skyscraper.
9. Airship Mooring Mast: The mast of the Empire State Building was originally conceived as a docking station for airships, allowing passengers to disembark directly at the skyscraper and reach street level within minutes. However, strong winds and considerable technical risks made the concept largely impractical, and regular airship operations never came to pass. Instead, the mast soon became a major site for radio and later television broadcasting, evolving over the decades into one of New York’s key transmission hubs.
10. Dramatic Plane Crash: On July 28, 1945, a US Army B-25 Mitchell bomber crashed into the Empire State Building between the 79th and 80th floors in dense fog, killing 14 people and injuring many others. Debris ripped through parts of the building, one engine fell onto a neighboring structure, and a serious fire broke out, which firefighters managed to contain quickly. An elevator operator survived a fall of around 75 floors inside an elevator shaft and still holds the record for the longest survived elevator fall.
11. Observation Decks: The observation decks on the 86th and 102nd floors of the Empire State Building offer breathtaking 360 degree views across New York City. On clear days, visibility can reach up to 80 miles, extending into several neighboring states. The open air terrace on the 86th floor delivers a classic outdoor skyline experience, while the enclosed glass observatory on the 102nd floor provides sheltered views from an even greater height. Evening visits are particularly popular, when Manhattan sparkles in a sea of lights.
12. Major Restoration: Starting in the mid 2000s, the Empire State Building underwent a comprehensive program of technical and aesthetic upgrades. The Art Deco lobby was meticulously restored, and visitor areas were modernized while preserving the building’s historic character. In 2009, a far reaching energy efficiency initiative followed, with targeted improvements to windows, climate systems, and building controls that significantly reduced overall energy consumption.
13. Own ZIP Code: Since 1980, the Empire State Building has had its own ZIP code, 10118, introduced due to the enormous volume of mail processed there each day. More than 40 major buildings in New York also have their own dedicated ZIP code.
14. Famous Tenants: Over the decades, around 1,000 companies have maintained offices in the Empire State Building, including well known names such as LinkedIn, Shutterstock, and Expedia. Among the most loyal tenants was jeweler Jack Brod, who moved in just a few months after the building opened in 1931 and remained there for about 77 years, until his death in 2008.
15. Stair Climb Champion: During the legendary Run Up at the Empire State Building, participants race up 1,576 steps to the 86th floor, transforming the stairwell into a demanding sporting arena. Germany’s Thomas Dold dominated the competition with 7 consecutive victories from 2006 to 2012, while Australia’s Paul Crake set the men’s course record in 2003 with a time of 9:33 minutes, a mark that still stands today. In the women’s division, Australia’s Suzy Walsham holds the record for the most wins with 10 victories and shaped the event over many years.
16. Lightning Strikes: The Empire State Building is struck by lightning an average of about 25 times each year, as its height and antenna make it a natural target during storms. A modern lightning protection system safely channels the immense electrical energy into the ground, ensuring that the structure and its visitors remain well protected.
17. Wedding in the Sky: Since 1994, the observation deck on the 86th floor of the Empire State Building has been transformed every Valentine’s Day into an exclusive wedding venue for selected couples. More than 250 couples have exchanged their vows here, high above the rooftops of New York.
18. Light Displays: The crown of the Empire State Building has been illuminated for special occasions since the 1930s. What began with simple white searchlights gradually developed into a long standing tradition of colorful lighting. Since 2012, a modern LED system with millions of possible color combinations has enabled spectacular light shows that change according to the occasion and are sometimes even synchronized with music.
19. King Kong: In the 1933 film classic King Kong, the giant ape climbs the Empire State Building in the dramatic finale and is confronted by attacking airplanes, a scene that made cinematic history. The film’s immense success cemented the then relatively new skyscraper as a pop culture icon and firmly anchored it in the collective memory.
20. Name Origin: The Empire State Building takes its name from the nickname of the state of New York, the “Empire State,” a term documented since the late 18th century. It is often linked to a 1785 letter by George Washington in which he described New York as the “Seat of the Empire.” In 1929, the developers adopted the phrase for their project company, “Empire State Inc.,” after it had become firmly established in the 19th century alongside New York’s rising prominence.