Rockefeller Center

A sizeable area in New York City which houses 19 commercial buildings and plazas between 48th and 51st Streets, the Rockefeller Center offers splendid architecture and art as well as great shopping and dining. It is one of the most popular attractions in NYC. Built by the famous and influential Rockefeller family, it became a National Historic Landmark in 1987.

Construction began in May 1930 and was the largest private building project ever undertaken in modern times as the initial costs were estimated at some $250,000,000. John D. Rockefeller funded the work entirely by himself. His initial plans to build an opera house were thrown out after the stock market crash in 1929, but his continuation with building the Art Deco center provided some much-needed work at the time and took nine years.

Now home to the NBC studios and Saturday Night Live, Radio City Music Hall, and countless artworks, shops, and eateries, the Rockefeller center is also host to many NY events, including the lighting of the famous Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree, broadcast around the world!

Its most famous building and focal point is the GE building, also known as 30 Rock. A tour of this and neighboring buildings will surprise you with its abundance of fine art, sculptures, (perhaps the most famous being the Prometheus bronze gilded sculpture in the Lower Plaza), mosaics, and murals. Or you can head up to the Top of the Rock Observation Deck for a wonderful indoor/outdoor viewing experience from 850 feet (259 m) above street level!

Then you can indulge in a promenade of the Channel Gardens as it puts on a display of manicured grass, fountains, sculptures, and thousands of plant species! Or take a rest at one of the restaurants where you can sit within the famous ice-rink that comes to life in winter. But with over 40 restaurants on offer throughout the center, you’ll have a hard time choosing.

Kids will love to explore the concourses (underground walkways that link the buildings) and some time at the LEGO Store before heading behind the scenes of a favorite TV show!

It's really easy to get there: Take subway train F, D, B or V to 47th-50th Street and get off at Rockefeller Center. Or take the bus from Fifth Avenue (M1, M2, M3, M4 or M5) to 50th Street. To arrive by foot, walk north from Times Square on 7th Avenue towards 50th Street and turn right onto it.

Opening Hours

Observation deck: 8 a.m. - 12 a.m.
Rest of the center: open 24/7

Admission

Tour of the centre: $17.00

Observation deck:
Adults: $27.00
Children (6-12): $17.00
Seniors: $25.00

Contact

Phone: +1 877 692 7625

• Official website

• Wikipedia