Rockefeller Center has launched a vertigo-inducing experience that recreates the famous 1932 photograph of construction workers eating lunch high above the city while working on 30 Rockefeller Plaza.
The new experience, which opened last week and recreates the “Lunch Atop a Skyscraper” photo, will strap visitors to the Top of the Rock Observation Deck to a replica beam on the 69th floor and lift them 12 feet above the observation deck, Rockefeller Center owner Tishman Speyer told Travel + Leisure. The beam will then rotate 180 degrees over the city more than 800 feet above New York City for a unique photo opportunity.
“The Beam is part of the top-to-bottom reimagining of Rockefeller Center that will dramatically enhance the visitor experience at the iconic observation deck, which offers the city’s best unobstructed views of its most famous landmarks,” the owners wrote in a statement shared with T+L, adding, “After visiting the Top of the Rock Observation Deck, visitors can spend time exploring the reimagined, iconic landmark, infused with the same ambition and creativity of the people who built this ‘city within a city’ nearly 100 years ago.”
The new experience will cost $25 and will be an add-on to the regular Top of the Rock ticket. It will include both the experience and a digital photo. A general admission ticket costs between $40 and $55 for adults, according to the company.
In addition to this new experience, the company will introduce another interactive option next year called the Sky Lift. When it opens, it will take travellers 30 feet above the roof on a circular glass platform on the 70th floor.
Beyond the Top of the Rock Observation Deck, there is plenty to do in and around New York City’s Rockefeller Center, including the iconic ice rink and the famous Christmas tree, which will be illuminated with more than 50,000 multi-coloured LED lights until 10 p.m. on January 13.