Summit One Vanderbilt Review - Is Summit Worth It?

Last Updated on 4th December 2024

This Summit One Vanderbilt review blog post contains affiliate links.

SUMMIT One Vanderbilt New York - Everything You Need To Know

Are you planning a trip to New York City and looking to visit the iconic SUMMIT observation deck? This huge SUMMIT One Vanderbilt review includes everything you need to know about the different observation deck levels, opening times, ticket options and more!

I’m so excited to share this huge SUMMIT One Vanderbilt review as it’s an NYC attraction that I visited for the first time during our one-month stay in New York over Christmas and New Year in 2021 and it quickly became one of my favourite things to do in the city.

The Top of the Rock observation deck at the Rockefeller Center has always been my go-to recommendation for the best observation deck in NYC, but after spending a lot of time at SUMMIT, it’s safe to say that the TOTR has got some competition when it comes to the best viewing platform in the city!

In my ultimate review guide below, I’m sharing absolutely everything you need to know about visiting the SUMMIT observation deck in New York, including whether SUMMIT is worth it, ticket prices, the best time to visit SUMMIT One Vanderbilt, plus the low-down on all the different levels and attractions to see within SUMMIT itself!

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What is the SUMMIT One Vanderbilt observation deck New York experience?

What is the SUMMIT One Vanderbilt New York experience?

SUMMIT One Vanderbilt’s observation deck officially opened to the public in October 2021, making it New York’s top new attraction.

Located right in the heart of Downtown Manhattan, just a stone’s throw from the Chrysler Building and Grand Central Terminal (you actually enter SUMMIT inside Grand Central), this incredible New York attraction is conveniently located right in the centre of Manhattan, offering unrivalled views of the city’s top skyscrapers and landmarks.

Is Summit One Vanderbilt Worth It?

Summit One Vanderbilt New York is 100% worth visiting if you’re looking for one of the best and most immersive observation deck experiences in the world!

Not only does it boast some of the most incredible views of New York City, there are also so many fun and cool exhibits and immersive attractions to enjoy inside the observation, making it one of the best attractions in NYC!

The One Vanderbilt building itself is incredibly cool to admire from the ground and it’s one of the most quirky-looking skyscrapers in New York. It currently holds the title of the tallest commercial skyscraper in midtown Manhattan and it’s also one of the top 30 tallest buildings in the world; when you see the remarkable views from the observation decks, it’s clear to see just how tall it is!

What’s included in the Summit Experience – at a glance

Level B1: This is the entrance to SUMMIT where a team member will help you prepare for your experience.
OB1 – 91^ST floor: Air Transcendence 1, Reflect and Air Affinity (this should all take around 45-60 minutes to experience/enjoy properly).
OB2 – 92^nd floor: Air Transcendence 2, Levitation, Air Unity (this should take around 45-60 minutes, depending on how long you want to spend in each section).
OB3 – 93^rd floor: Après, Terrace, Ascent (currently closed), Boutique (this should all take around 30-45 minutes, depending on how long you want to spend in the Après Bar).

What to expect from a visit to SUMMIT One Vanderbilt

While I’d seen dozens of SUMMIT One Vanderbilt review photos all over Instagram in the previous months before my visit, I was convinced that most of the pictures must have been heavily Photoshopped as I just couldn’t comprehend what was going on or how on Earth everything looked so cool!

However, our visit to SUMMIT completely exceeded all my expectations and then some; it’s undoubtedly one of the coolest experiences in NYC and here’s what you can expect from your visit.

To enter the SUMMIT One Vanderbilt experience, you’ll need to make your way to Grand Central Terminal’s Main Concourse and from there, you’ll enter SUMMIT through the Vanderbilt passage. It is signposted, but it’s not always super clear where to go, especially as Grand Central is such a huge station, so just look out for signs for Vanderbilt Avenue or ask a member of staff if you’re not quite sure.

From there, once you arrive at the entrance to SUMMIT One Vanderbilt, you’ll be asked to show your ticket and you’ll be given a wristband with a QR code so that you can download your professional pictures at the end of your visit. You don’t actually have to have any professional pictures taken (we didn’t as they’re all done on a green screen and we just wanted to take pictures of the real thing!), but it’s nice to have the option.

After this, you’ll be escorted to security lines where wait times can often take a little while; it’s good to note if you want to visit SUMMIT at sunset, you need to make sure you give yourself an additional half an hour before you actually want to go up SUMMIT, just in case lines are crazy long.

Next up, you’ll be shown a short video about how SUMMIT came to be, before being shown the immersive elevator ride experience that will take you all the way up to the 91st floor where your SUMMIT One Vanderbilt New York experience will begin!

Top tip: You’ll be provided with shoe covers once you’ve been through security and you’re required to wear them for the duration of your time at SUMMIT so that the glass/mirror floors don’t get damaged or dirty.

Get your tickets for the SUMMIT experience NYC here!

Air – Transcendence 1

Emerging from the elevators, you’ll walk down a small corridor and once you round the corner, you’ll get your first glimpse of the Air art installation by Kenzo Digital part of the SUMMIT experience.

Transcendence 1 as it’s known, is the first part of SUMMIT’s observation platforms and it’s here that you’ll get to experience the mirrored floors, walls and ceilings for the very first time. It can be quite an overwhelming and disorientating feeling at first as you’re completely surrounded by dazzling reflections, but once you get accustomed to it, it’s such an incredible experience.

Although the weather wasn’t incredibly clear for us, we were treated to blue skies and sunshine for most of our time at SUMMIT and if you can, I’d definitely recommend trying to book your visit when it’s forecast to be bright and clear as it makes the experience much more enjoyable.

Top tip: You can bring your own sunglasses to SUMMIT as the reflections can get pretty intense and super bright, especially on a sunny day. Alternatively, there are free sunglasses available for your use before you enter the elevators to take you up to SUMMIT.

Clouds

After spending a long while wandering around Transcendence 1 and taking many, many pictures, we headed to the next room which is home to the ‘Clouds’ art installations on the floor.

This piece was created by Yayoi Kusama and while it’s certainly lovely to look at and definitely more calming than the previous room, it was my least favourite part of the SUMMIT experience.

Top tip: As far as I’m aware, you can’t go back down a level once you’ve gone up to the next level, so make sure you spend plenty of time on each floor to ensure you get the full experience.

Affinity

The next room, however, known as Affinity, is brilliant and it’s a great place at SUMMIT to get some really cool photos (although, every room and attraction at SUMMIT is definitely photo-worthy!).

Affinity is a more interactive room where giant silver balloons float around, creating a bubble-like effect on your photos.

It can get a little crowded in this room, although to be perfectly honest, most of the rooms at SUMMIT get crowded at times as everything is so incredible! If you’re able to, I’d highly recommend spending some time in Affinity just playing around with the balloons and once you’ve taken plenty of pictures of the fun and immersive experience, make your way to the next level at SUMMIT One Vanderbilt New York…

Transcendence 2

Transcendence 2 is located on the next level of SUMMIT and from this room, you can see down into Transcendence 1 through a “portal”, as well as enjoy more views of the crazy beautiful Manhattan skyline.

For some reason, Transcendence 2 was much quieter than its predecessor, but I think that’s probably because not many people realise it’s there until you start to move up the levels at SUMMIT!

This fun room is covered in mirrors all over the floor, ceiling and walls, just like Transcendence 1 and it’s equally as beautiful.

Top tip: I’d recommend being in Transcendence 2 in time for sunset (like we did), as it’s usually slightly quieter but you still get to enjoy unparalleled sunset views over the city.

Levitation

Levitation is another element of SUMMIT that you can enjoy. This part of the attraction involves standing on a glass floor that looks straight down onto Vanderbilt Avenue below.

We actually skipped this part of the attraction as the queue was pretty long as it only covers a small area and we really wanted to spend as much time as possible enjoying the sunset views over the city.

The glass viewing platforms sit at 1,063 feet above street level so it’s certainly not something for the faint-hearted! It’s also important to note that you can’t take your own personal photos during Levitation; staff members at SUMMIT will take professional photos of you. This was another reason why I wasn’t overly bothered about taking part at this stage as I didn’t want to purchase a photo when I had my own camera with me!

However, if you want to take full advantage of every part of SUMMIT, then go ahead! You’re also not obliged to buy the photo and you can still go to the glass platform for the experience itself!

Unity

Unity is the next part of the SUMMIT One Vanderbilt New York experience and it’s yet another remarkably cool element of the whole attraction.

If you scan your wristband as you enter the room, you’ll see your face floating through the clouds on the screen behind you. Unity is yet another place that’s awesome for photos at SUMMIT and you can get some incredibly cool shots that will look like you’ve Photoshopped yourself straight into the clouds!

Ascent – SUMMIT One Vanderbilt review

Ascent is an experience at SUMMIT that you have to purchase as an extra add-on and it involves riding in one of two completely glass elevators on the outside of the One Vanderbilt building that will take you up to 1,210 feet which is the highest point you can get to at SUMMIT.

We decided not to take part in this experience as it costs an additional $20 per person on top of your regular SUMMIT ticket and the ride itself only lasts around 2-minutes and I really didn’t feel the need to go any higher just for the sake of it.

At this level at SUMMIT, you can go outside to yet another observation platform that offers even more stunning views of Manhattan and beyond, so I just didn’t feel the need to book for Ascent.

Après

Après, SUMMIT’s indoor and outdoor bar and restaurant, is also located on this level and here you can buy a fancy cocktail, a glass of fizz or something delicious (albeit pretty expensive) to eat.

We were just more than happy to enjoy the views from the outdoor platform here and as the sun began to set over the horizon and night began to fall on the city, I’d never felt so grateful to have enjoyed such a truly wonderful and magical experience.

FAQs – is Summit One Vanderbilt worth it?

Below, you’ll find some of the most frequently asked questions about visiting SUMMIT One Vanderbilt. Hopefully, I’ve covered everything you need to know in this ultimate guide, but please leave me a comment below or join my New York Facebook Group if you want to know anything else!

How much does it cost to go to the observation deck – Summit One Vanderbilt experience review

How much does it cost to go to SUMMIT One Vanderbilt?

There are three main ticket types you can purchase for a visit to SUMMIT:

SUMMIT Experience

Dated and timed entry to all four floors of SUMMIT One Vanderbilt, including Air, Affinity, Ascent, and Après.
Tickets start at $43 for adults 13+ and $37 for children aged 6-12, children under 5 go free.

SUMMIT Signature Experience

Dated and timed entry to all four floors of SUMMIT One Vanderbilt.
Signature cocktail or mocktail.
Tickets start at $57 for adults 13+ and $51 for children aged 6-12, children under 5 go free.

SUMMIT at sunset

Tickets for SUMMIT at sunset start at $53 for adults and $47 for children aged 6-12, children under 5 go free.

SUMMIT Ascent (please note that SUMMIT Ascent is currently unavailable)

Dated and timed entry to all four floors of SUMMIT One Vanderbilt.
General Admission + Ascent: the glass elevator that takes you to over 1,200 feet.
Tickets start at $63 for adults 13+ and $53 for children aged 6-12, children under 5 go free.

Get tickets to visit the SUMMIT Observatory here!

Opening times – Summit One Vanderbilt review

SUMMIT One Vanderbilt’s current opening hours are as follows:

Monday to Sunday: 9 AM – 12 AM (last entry at 10.30 PM).

Please check the SUMMIT Experience New York website for up-to-date prices and opening times.

When is the best time to visit SUMMIT?

If you’re wondering what the best time to visit SUMMIT is, I’d personally always recommend timing your visit at least an hour before sunset so that you get to experience it during the day, as the sun sets and then at twilight.

You will pay more for sunset tickets, but I promise that it’s worth it for the stunning views of New York City at golden hour!

How long does it take to see SUMMIT One Vanderbilt?

I would recommend allocating at least two hours to visit SUMMIT so that you can ensure that you’re able to experience everything it has to offer. I think we spent between 2-3 hours there and that was plenty of time for us to enjoy everything thoroughly.

As far as I’m aware, there is no enforced time limit on your visit to SUMMIT and even though we were there in time for sunset, we weren’t moved on at all. However, in busy peak times, members of staff may encourage you to move onto the next section if the platforms are too busy and crowded.

How tall is the SUMMIT One Vanderbilt observation deck?

The One Vanderbilt building that is home to the SUMMIT experience is 1,401 feet tall, but the viewing platforms and observation decks are a few hundred feet below the very tip of One Vanderbilt.

SUMMIT One Vanderbilt location

There are three entrances to the SUMMIT NYC Observatory, including:

Via the Main Concourse Level of Grand Central Terminal.
Via the Transit Hall in the One Vanderbilt building, located at the corner of Vanderbilt Avenue and 43rd St.
Via the street-level entrance at 45 East 42nd Street.

Address: 45 East 42nd St, New York, NY 10017.

Are there restrooms at SUMMIT?

There are restrooms located on every level at SUMMIT, usually at the end of one of the experience rooms. Be sure to check out the restrooms on the very top floor for some of the best toilet views in New York!

SUMMIT One Vanderbilt Observation Deck vs Top of the Rock

I’ve said it so many times on my blog before, but I’ll say it again; the Top of the Rock is my favourite place in the world. It holds so many special memories for me with both my mum and Matt and the feeling that I get when I’m up there is like nothing else in the world.

However, the feeling of adulation when I was at SUMMIT came pretty close to how I feel at the Top of the Rock as it’s just such a remarkable place.

While they are both very much observation decks with similar standpoints in the city, I feel like the experiences of the two are completely different from each other. SUMMIT is much more of an immersive experience, with lots of activities to enjoy while you’re there, whereas the Top of the Rock offers a magical viewpoint with a huge outdoor observation deck, without all the frills and additions that SUMMIT has.

If you can, try to visit both and see which one you prefer ;).

Is SUMMIT Vanderbilt better at night or day?

I personally think that SUMMIT is better during the day as it allows you to properly see so much of Manhattan and beyond.

However, I would 100% recommend booking tickets for approximately one hour before sunset to enjoy the best experience of SUMMIT One Vanderbilt. This will allow you to enjoy the views from SUMMIT during the day, during golden hour as the sun is setting and then at nightfall.

Remember, tickets for visiting SUMMIT at sunset are more expensive, but if the weather is good, I think it’s 100% worth the extra money!

Top tips for visiting SUMMIT OV

top tips for visiting SUMMIT One Vanderbilt New York

Wear comfortable shoes and avoid wearing high heels as this can damage the mirrored floors. You’re required to wear shoe coverings as part of your visit to SUMMIT, but wear sensible shoes anyway.
Bring your own sunglasses or pick up a pair at the entrance to SUMMIT, especially if it’s a particularly sunny day.
Avoid wearing short dresses or skirts. This isn’t strictly a rule, but as most of the floors are mirrored, you’ll likely want to avoid these items and opt for trousers, jeans, shorts, tights etc.
Avoid bringing large bags and backpacks. We were fine with a small backpack and my small camera bag, but there is no storage available at SUMMIT so be sure to avoid bringing large luggage items.

Get your SUMMIT One Vanderbilt tickets here!

New York SUMMIT One Vanderbilt review – conclusion

As you can see from my raving SUMMIT review above, I think that SUMMIT is 100% worth visiting in New York City!

It’s one of the coolest observation deck experiences I’ve ever had and I love that it provides an entirely unique experience of seeing the city from a remarkably high vantage point.

If you’re thinking of buying tickets for SUMMIT NYC, I really couldn’t recommend the whole experience enough!

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What did you think of this Summit One Vanderbilt review? Is SUMMIT on your NYC bucket list? Let me know in the comments or on my New York Facebook Group!

Summit One Vanderbilt Review – Is Summit Worth It?