New Rockefeller Center Attraction Gives You a Bird's Eye View of New York City
'02.10.2024'
Olga Feoktistova
Top of the Rock has unveiled its all-new ride with 360-degree panoramic views of New York City – here it is Skylift in Rockefeller Center! It's a stunning circular platform that lifts 13 passengers to a height of 274 meters and then begins to slowly rotate, reports NYPost.
The ride opened on October 1 on the 70th floor observation deck and offers smooth rotations and unrivaled, clear views of the Big Apple and beyond.
Passengers enter an elevated platform with glass walls about 1,8 meters high. It is mounted on a stand on which a colorful LED light show is played. The body slowly rises and rotates on a multi-level stand. It looks like an opening telescope. The ride lasts 3,5 minutes.
To try the Skylift, you'll need to pay $35 more than the regular admission price for the Top of the Rock observation deck. The experience will cost between $75 and $96.
Skylift is also included in the $190 VIP package. Photo and video services can be purchased for an additional $40.
UK residents Jason and Holly Williams tied the knot in the Big Apple on October 1. The smiling newlyweds were among those who booked a ride on the Skylift online when it opened.
French tourist Nathalie Mary visited Top of the Rock on all six of her trips to New York. She praised the ride for the beautiful views it offers passengers.
One floor above its sister ride, the Beam, the Skylift is an open-air, rotating ride that lifts people up on a steel beam, like the iconic 1932 photo, “Lunch Atop a Skyscraper.”
However, Skylift should be viewed more as a carousel with pop music playing on it.
On the subject: The Six Best 360-Degree Observation Decks in New York City
Head in the clouds
Skylift passengers can look down through transparent floors as the cabin takes them 274 metres up.
There is some shaking as the ride spins and wind rushes through the cracks in the glass panels, but it's nothing to be alarmed about. Holcomb Hardin, an 11-year-old Tennessee boy, agreed to ride the ride for the first time, although he was initially concerned about the height.
"It was pretty cool! I definitely felt safe there," he enthused. "And it was really fun to walk on the platform while it was moving. Definitely try it if you get the chance."