Interesting Facts About The Empire State Building
The Empire State Building is a lot more than simply a tourist attraction. It is a bit of New York history, a colorful beacon in Manhattans night-time skyline, with a destination for breathtaking views and romantic encounters. Here are a few interesting information about the Empire State Building.
In excess of 110 million individuals have visited the Empire State Building observation deck since the building opened in 1931. Famous visitors have included Queen Elizabeth, Fidel Castro, the rock band KISS, Ronald McDonald, Lassie, and Tom Cruise. The Empire State Building has acted as an “Ambassador to New York” to many of the World’s best-known political and entertainment figures, such Queen Elizabeth, Prince Charles, Prince Andrew, The Duchess of York, Nikita Krushchev, and the King of Siam.
Empire State Building name is derived from the nickname for the state of New York. The building and its street floor interior are designated landmarks of the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission and confirmed by the New York City Board of Estimate. The Empire State Building cost $40,948,900 to build and weighs approximately 370,000 short tons.
An intriguing fact is that the original intent of the building was that it was to be used as a mooring mast and depot for zeppelins. That proved both impractical and dangerous due to the sizable updraft from the building itself. The north corridor of the Empire State Building contains eight illuminated panels, created by Roy Sparkia and Renee Nemorov in 1963, depicting the building as the Eighth Wonder of the World, alongside the traditional seven.
The Empire State Building’s most memorable movie role was as King Kong’s plaything in 1933’s King Kong. The Empire State Building also played a romantic lead in An Affair to Remember (and its remake) and Sleepless in Seattle. The building has been in many other films, including classics like Annie Hall, North by Northwest, On the Waterfront, Taxi Driver, and others.
If you and your family plan a vacation in New York City, do not forget your Empire State Building tickets!