Top of the Rock crowns 30 Rockefeller Plaza with a three-level observation deck conceived as an open-air counterpart to the city below. Its history is tied to the original RCA Building and Rockefeller Center’s vision of urban spectacle.
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This rooftop was part of the building’s public life from the start. When 30 Rockefeller Plaza opened in 1933 as the RCA Building, its observation deck became one of the first attractions available to visitors. The upper levels were designed with a ship’s deck in mind, encouraging the feeling of looking across a metropolitan ocean.
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UpgradeQuick facts
- The observation deck at 30 Rockefeller Plaza opened in 1933.
- It closed in 1986 and reopened in 2005.
- The original deck design was inspired by a ship’s deck.
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