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The Edge NYC: Everything You Need to Know Before You Visit

Updated August 2026

Edge is the highest outdoor sky deck in the Western Hemisphere, a triangular platform on the 100th floor of 30 Hudson Yards that juts out almost 80 feet out from the side of the building, and 1,100 feet above Manhattan. In June 2026 the attraction reopened its entire indoor experience with seven new permanent installations built by Moment Factory and SoftLab, turning what used to be a short walk to the elevator into a 30 to 60 minute journey of its own. Booking the right ticket for the right time slot is the decision that that will shape whether a visit is even worth it.

At a Glance

How Early to Book:

Recommended to book a a few days ahead for a wide selection of time-slots including sunset times. Same-day tickets are often also available, but queues can be long. If you book 14 days ahead, you can save 35% on the Advance Saver Ticket.

Best Times to Visit:

Late morning, around 10am to 11am is the sweet spot in the middle of the morning that is unexpectedly quieter than other times, especially from Tuesday through Thursday.

Ticket price:

General admissions tickets start at $44.00 for adults, and rates are higher for premium experiences.

Where to Book:

The EDGE NYC Ticketing Website

Landmark Address:

30 Hudson Yards, New York, NY 10001

Do You Need to Book Edge NYC Tickets in Advance?

Yes you should. Edge runs on timed entry, and while same-day tickets are sometimes sold at the ticket counter on Level 4, they will cost more and availability is never guaranteed. Prices are dynamic and rise as your date approaches, so this is a place where booking ahead will save you a little bit of money as well as securing your slot.

Where to book: Buy direct at edgenyc.com. It is the official platform, it carries the full range of ticket types, and it is the only place the Advance Saver rate exists. Third-party resellers list Edge widely, but if you book through one, that vendor handles any change or refund, not Edge, and the Manage My Booking portal will not recognise your reservation.

How far ahead: For sunset slots in summer, book at least a few days out. Sunset will be the first thing to sell on any given day. For a weekday morning in January you can often just walk up. For those on a budget, the 14-day mark matters regardless of season, because that is the cutoff for the Advance Saver ticket, which saves up to 35%.

Tickets and ID: Tickets are not nominative and no ID is needed at the door, with two exceptions. The Tri-State resident discount requires a qualifying New York, New Jersey or Connecticut billing zip code online, or a valid Tri-State ID in person, and the student rate requires a student ID at the counter.

Children: Children aged 5 and under visit free and do not need a ticket. Everyone aged 6 and over needs one, and under-12s must be with an adult ticket holder throughout.

Cancellations: Standard tickets are non-refundable. If you want flexibility you have to buy it up front, either by adding Cancellation Protection at checkout, which allows a full refund, or by buying Flex Admission, which lets you change your date and time up to 2 hours before your visit through the Manage My Booking page. Advance Saver tickets cannot be changed at all. Changes apply to the whole booking, not to individual tickets within it, so a group of four cannot move one person.

City passes: Edge is included in the New York Pass (from $134), the Go City Explorer Pass (from $89), and New York C3 and C-ALL by CityPASS (C3 from $92). If you are using CityPASS, reserve your Edge entry time through the My CityPASS app rather than turning up and hoping. Pass holders still need a time slot.

Edge NYC Ticket Prices: Which Ticket Should You Buy?

At the time of writing, there are nine different ways to buy admission and the gap between the cheapest and the most expensive is over $80, so it is worth understanding what you are actually paying for. Every price below is a starting price on the official site, with a $2 processing fee added at checkout, and every one of them includes the same thing: all seven indoor installations, the indoor deck on Level 100, and the outdoor sky deck with the glass floor, angled glass walls, Skyline Seats and Eastern Point.

Advance Saver, from $34. The cheapest route in, available only when you book at least 14 days ahead. Non-changeable.
Tri-State Resident, from $36. Up to 30% off for NY, NJ and CT residents, applied automatically with a qualifying zip code.
General Admission, from $42. Standard timed entry.
Champagne Experience, from $63. General admission plus a glass of champagne on the deck, 21 and over.
Edge Bites & Sights, from $65. Flex admission valid before 3pm plus a sandwich, a drink and a snack from Skyline Bar & Café.
Flex Admission, from $73. Book a date, arrive whenever you like, change date and time up to 2 hours before.
Edge & Vessel Flex Bundle, from $84. Both Hudson Yards attractions at 10% off, flexible arrival for each.
Priority Access, from $88. Flexible arrival plus a dedicated check-in desk, fast pass lanes and priority elevator access.
Sunset VIP, from $113. Priority access, flexible arrival and a glass of champagne, timed around golden hour.
Annual Pass, from $99. Unlimited visits for a year, 30% off guest tickets, 50% off one Vessel visit for up to two tickets, and 10% off retail, food and photos. No blackout dates.

Don't let the crazy long list of options trick you: General Admission is the right ticket for most people. Flex costs roughly $30 more for convenience you probably do not need if your day is planned, and Priority Access is only worth the premium if you are arriving between 4pm and 8pm on a weekend, when the elevator queue is the difference between walking straight up and waiting 20 minutes. The Annual Pass pays for itself on the second visit, which makes it a surprisingly sensible buy for anyone in the city for a week who wants both a daytime and a night visit.

The 30 Hudson Yards skyscraper in NYC, featuring t eh Edge observation deck jutting out into the air near the top.

How to Get Discount Tickets for Edge NYC

Edge is expensive, and there are more ways to bring the price down than visitors realise.

Book 14 days ahead. The Advance Saver ticket is the biggest single saving on offer at up to 35%, and it requires nothing but planning.

Tri-State residents save up to 30% on General, Flex and Priority tickets, online with a qualifying billing zip code or in person with ID.

Students get 20% off with a valid student ID, but only at the Guest Services Counter on Level 4 on the day. It cannot be applied online.

US military, active and retired, get reduced admission with valid ID. This one is not available online either and has to be booked by phone or at the counter.

Families can take 20% off through the family bundle, which also includes free ice cream for children.

One quick warning. Search results for Edge discounts are filled with resale sites offering headline rates that look better than the official price. A few may be legit resellers, but some are simply quoting a weekday off-peak slot you could have booked yourself for less. Before buying from any of them, open the official booking calendar for your actual date and compare like for like, and remember that a reseller booking cannot be changed through Edge's own system.

Edge NYC Opening Hours and Entry Information

Address: 30 Hudson Yards, New York, NY 10001. The entrance is on Level 4 of The Shops & Restaurants at Hudson Yards, not at street level, which catches out a lot of first-time visitors. Enter the mall from 10th Avenue and 33rd Street or from Hudson Boulevard opposite Vessel, then take the escalators or lift to Level 4.

Regular hours: Daily, 9am to 10pm, with extended closing times on many dates in peak season. Edge opens every day of the year, including public holidays, though hours on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Eve differ from the standard schedule and private events occasionally shorten a day.

Last entry: The last elevator to Level 100 leaves 50 minutes before closing. Because the indoor installations take 30 to 60 minutes before you reach that elevator, a ticket booked for the final hour of the day is a rushed visit. Aim for at least 90 minutes before closing.

Arrival: Turn up 10 to 15 minutes before your slot to clear security. There is a 15 minute grace period if you are running late, and if you miss the window entirely, speak to an Edge Experience Guide at the entrance, who may be able to fit you into a later entry subject to availability. Tickets are not exchanged or refunded for a missed slot.

Hours shift enough through the year that the number printed here is a guide, not a guarantee. The date-specific hours are shown on the booking calendar when you select your slot.

The Edge observation deck at 30 Hudson Yards was built between 2016 and 2019, and officially opened to the public in March 2020. It sits at 1,131 feet high, making it the highest outdoor observation deck in the Western Hemisphere.

What is the Best Way to Get to Edge NYC?

By subway: The 7 train to 34 St–Hudson Yards is the most direct route and runs straight from Times Square in around 5 minutes. Exit at 34th Street and Hudson Boulevard, walk south past Vessel, and enter The Shops & Restaurants. The A, C and E at 34 St–Penn Station also work: exit at 33rd Street and 8th Avenue and walk west on 33rd for about 10 minutes.

By rail: Penn Station sits two blocks east, between West 31st and West 33rd Streets. Amtrak, LIRR, New Jersey Transit and PATH all arrive there, which makes Edge one of the easiest NYC attractions to reach on a day trip from New Jersey or Long Island.

By bus: The M34-SBS, M12 and M11 all stop within a few minutes' walk.

By ferry: The Midtown terminal at West 39th Street and the West Side Highway is a 15 minute walk north along the water.

By bike: Hudson River Park along the West Side Highway is the best approach from either direction, and the nearest Citi Bike dock is at the northwest corner of West 34th Street and 11th Avenue.

By car: There are garages at 10 Hudson Yards, Abington House and One Hudson Yards, all on West 30th Street between 10th and 11th Avenues. Parking here is expensive and the traffic around the Lincoln Tunnel approach is miserable at rush hour, so this is the last resort.

One practical tip: walk the High Line instead. Exit at 30th Street beside 10 Hudson Yards and you arrive at the mall entrance having approached Edge from below, watching the tower grow above you. It is a far better prelude than emerging from a subway station into a shopping centre, and the walk up from the Meatpacking District takes about 30 minutes.

The View from Edge NYC: The Glass Floor, Angled Walls and Eastern Point

The deck itself is 7,500 square feet of open air with nothing overhead. Three features are worth knowing about ahead of time.

The glass floor is a 225 square foot panel set into the middle of the deck, looking straight down 100 storeys onto the rail yards and traffic below. It is multi-layered laminated glass on redundant steel framing, load-tested and inspected constantly, which is easy to say and harder to feel when you take the first step. The trick is to put one foot on it, look at the horizon rather than down, and then commit. Most people's nerves settle within a few seconds. Go at midday if you actually want to use it, because the even overhead light makes the drop legible in photographs and there is rarely a queue. At sunset the panel picks up glare and there is usually a line of people waiting their turn.

The angled glass walls lean outward rather than standing vertical, so you can rest against them and look down the face of the building. They are the reason Edge feels different from an enclosed observatory. There are 79 panels, each nine feet tall, and the effect of leaning out over open air is the thing you'll remember the most from this experience.

Eastern Point is the tip of the triangle, where glass wraps three sides and the Empire State Building lines up directly in your sightline. It fits very few people at a time, so it moves in a slow rotation. This is the photograph worth waiting for.

On a clear day the view runs up to 80 miles, taking in Central Park to the north, the Statue of Liberty and Lower Manhattan to the south, and New Jersey and the Hudson Valley to the west. Summer haze cuts that back considerably, which is worth knowing if you are choosing between July and October.

What is Inside Edge NYC? The Seven New Installations

Since June 2026 the indoor half of Edge has been an attraction in its own right, spread across multiple levels from the Level 4 entry to the Level 100 deck. Each installation runs to an original soundtrack, and the lighting programmes are designed to differ by morning, afternoon, sunset and night, so two visits at different times do not look the same.

Prism opens the sequence, refracting shifting images of New York into changing angles and colours as you walk through.

Pulse is the one most people photograph: 450 glowing orbs that change colour in response to how you move through the room.

Skyrise is the elevator itself, a cinematic ride that simulates the ascent with sound and visuals and covers 100 floors in under 60 seconds. The real journey takes 52 seconds.

Reflections is a two-level space filled with 200 spinning mirrored panels that track your movement and trigger responsive light shows.

Kaleidoscope holds four kaleidoscope zones in one room, including the largest in New York City. The night mode here is noticeably better than the daytime version.

Infinite City and Crystal Cave close the sequence, the latter a 25-foot canopy of oversized crystals that throw rainbows across the floor. Both have exterior windows, so their character changes with the daylight. Crystal Cave is at its best about an hour before sunset, when golden hour light sets the whole canopy going.

The installations are fully enclosed and open in any weather, which changes the calculation on a rainy day. A wet afternoon that would ruin a visit to Top of the Rock still gives you an hour of indoor experience here, plus floor-to-ceiling views from the indoor deck on Level 100.

Can You Still Do the City Climb at Edge NYC?

Not at the moment. City Climb, the harnessed ascent up the exterior crown of 30 Hudson Yards to a lean-out platform more than 1,200 feet up, is currently not on sale. It's unavailable until Edge says otherwise, and you should be skeptical of resale sites still listing climb slots.

For reference when it returns, and so you can judge whether it is for you: the climb takes you up a 45-degree angled staircase on the outside of the building, attached throughout to a fixed rail system, and ends with a hands-free lean out over the city. It ran from $80, or $125 for the combo package with a photo folder and video, both including Edge access. The requirements are strict. Climbers must be 18 or over, or 13 and over with an adult, between 4.9 and 6.7 feet tall, and between 65 and 310 lbs. It is not open to anyone under the influence of alcohol, with heart conditions, vertigo or motion sickness, or who is or may be pregnant. Phones and cameras go in a locker, so all photographs come from the guide.

A note on the two things people confuse: the outdoor staircase on the crown is City Climb only, and the internal staircase between Levels 100 and 101 is staff and restaurant access. Neither is part of general admission.

How Much Time Should I Spend at Edge NYC?

I'd recommend about 60 to 90 minutes for a standard visit. The Level 4 indoor experience takes 30 to 60 minutes depending on how long you linger in Kaleidoscope and Reflections, then the elevator takes 52 seconds, and there is no time limit at all on the deck once you are up there.

If you want to watch the light change, budget two hours and arrive an hour before sunset. That gets you the installations, the deck in daylight, sunset itself, and the 20 to 30 minutes of blue hour afterwards, which is when the city lights come on and the deck starts to empty.

Add another 30 to 45 minutes if you plan to sit down at Skyline Bar & Café, and treat a meal at Peak as a separate two-hour commitment rather than an add-on.

New York City's Observation

Decks, Compared

Are CityPASS and Museum Passes Worth it In NYC?

New York City's Observation Decks, Compared

Are CityPASS and Museum Passes Worth it In NYC?

What is the Best Time to Visit Edge NYC?

Best time of day: Late morning, around 10am to 11am, is the sweet spot for a quiet visit. The deck is open, the light is good enough for photographs, and the glass floor is usually free. The alternative, for a completely different experience, is an hour before sunset, which is the most beautiful and by some distance the most crowded and expensive slot on the calendar.

Best days: Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday mornings are consistently the quietest. Weekend afternoons in summer are the busiest, and the outdoor platform is not enormous, so a full slot really does feel full.

Best season: October and November give the clearest air and the sharpest long-distance views, along with a sunset early enough that you do not have to book a late slot to catch it. Summer brings haze that flattens the distance, and winter brings wind that makes the deck properly cold. The deck is heated and kept clear in snow, and a crisp winter morning after a storm passes gives you visibility you will not get in August.

Weather: Edge stays open in all normal conditions. The outdoor deck can close temporarily during high winds or lightning, at which point you still have the indoor installations and the Level 100 indoor deck. Standard tickets are not refunded for cloud or poor visibility, so if your trip is short and your date is fixed, Cancellation Protection is worth the few dollars.

There are no free entry days at Edge for general visitors. New York City public school groups visit free on Tuesdays through the education programme.

Is Edge NYC Worth Visiting at Night?

A night visit is a totally different attraction, and for many people it can actually be a better one. The crowd thins out after about 8pm, the queues for the glass floor disappear, and the view swaps distance for density: from up here the Midtown grid reads as a field of light rather than a set of landmarks. Crystal Cave runs a light show after dark and Kaleidoscope switches to night mode, both of which are stronger than their daytime versions. If you are choosing between one visit at sunset and one at 9pm, the 9pm slot is cheaper, calmer, and photographs better than you expect.

Marquee Skydeck is the separate late-night option, a 21+ series run with Tao Group Hospitality that takes over the deck for DJ sets from 11pm to 3am, mostly on Fridays and Saturdays with occasional Thursday and Sunday dates, running from May into late October. It has its own ticket, its own lineup for each night, and its own entrance on Hudson Boulevard at The Public Square and Gardens, opposite Vessel. Do not go to the Level 4 Edge entrance. Upscale nightlife attire is expected, sports kit and loungewear are turned away at the door, there is no coat check, and re-entry is not permitted once you leave. Your Edge admission ticket does not get you in, and a Marquee ticket is not a substitute for daytime admission.

Is Edge NYC Worth Visiting?

For a first-time visitor to New York who wants to feel the height rather than just see the view, this is a great option, up there with Top of the Rock. The case for the Edge: nothing else in the city will put you outside, with nothing overhead, on a platform that hangs 80 feet off the side of a building. The angled walls and the glass floor turn a view into a physical experience, and the moment at Eastern Point with the Empire State Building framed dead ahead is one of the best skyline photos you can take anywhere on Earth.

That being said, the caveats are legitimate. This is an expensive attraction that gets more expensive at exactly the time you most want to go, and if you turn up at 6pm on a July Saturday having paid a peak-slot price, you will spend a chunk of your visit shuffling around a busy deck waiting for a turn at the glass. A common complaint is that the actual time on the deck is often short relative to what people paid. The fix is entirely within your control: book off-peak, arrive early in the day, and stay as long as you like, because nobody moves you on.

Who will love it: first-timers, photographers, anyone travelling with teenagers, and couples looking for a sunset that justifies the fuss. Who might not: anyone with a serious fear of heights, for whom the angled walls and glass floor are confronting rather than fun, and repeat visitors to New York who have already done Summit and Top of the Rock and are chasing something new. Edge sits further west than the other decks, which means you are looking at the classic Midtown skyline from outside it rather than standing in the middle of it. Summit gives you the postcard composition; Edge gives you the altitude and the open air. If you only have time for one, that is the trade-off to weigh.

Families do well here. The seven new installations have changed the calculation for anyone with children under 10, who now get an hour of interactive rooms before they ever reach a view they may not care about. It has become a much easier sell with kids than it was two years ago.

Where Should I Eat Near Edge NYC?

On site:

Skyline Bar & Café by Tao Group Hospitality sits on Level 100 next to the entrance to the outdoor deck and serves cocktails, champagne and New York-inspired small plates, including bagel bites and Wagyu hot dogs. It is priced like an attraction café, but the seats by the windows are worth the markup for half an hour.

Peak with Priceless occupies the whole 101st floor, one level above the deck, with 360-degree floor-to-ceiling views. Window tables are served a three-course prix fixe at $145 a head, while the dining room and Peak Lounge offer à la carte. This is the insider move that saves money for two people: a dining room reservation at Peak has come with complimentary Edge access, so a meal you were going to buy anyway can replace two admission tickets. Confirm the current policy when you book, and reserve well ahead for anything near sunset.

A short walk away:

Mercado Little Spain at 10 Hudson Yards is the best value in the complex and my default recommendation. José Andrés' Spanish market spreads tapas kiosks, a bar and three sit-down restaurants across the ground floor. Grab pan con tomate and croquetas standing up at the counter, or sit down at Spanish Diner for something more substantial. You can eat here for $25 or $85 depending on how you play it.

Ci Siamo at 440 West 33rd Street is the neighbourhood's best proper dinner, a Danny Meyer Italian restaurant built around a wood-fired hearth. The pastas and the focaccia are the reason to come. Book ahead, expect around $70 to $90 a head with a glass of wine.

Zou Zou's at 385 9th Avenue does Eastern Mediterranean in a bright, loud room five minutes from the mall. Strong on dips, breads and grilled meats, and a better brunch than anything inside Hudson Yards.

Taqueria on Tenth at 313 10th Avenue is the affordable option, ten minutes south. Tacos and nachos done well, cocktails better than they need to be, and a bill that will not make your eyes water after an Edge ticket.

Cedric's at The Shed on West 30th Street is where I go when I want to sit down for a drink without paying attraction prices. It is a calm bar in the lobby of the arts centre next door, tourists rarely find it, and it is a two-minute walk from the Edge entrance.

A word on the surroundings: Hudson Yards is a mall, and the food inside it is priced accordingly. Walk two blocks east to 9th Avenue or south into Chelsea and both the prices and the cooking improve noticeably.

What Else is There to Do Near Edge NYC?

Vessel stands directly below you in the Public Square, a 16-storey honeycomb of 154 interconnected staircases. It reopened in October 2024 with floor-to-ceiling mesh on the upper levels, and tickets start at $14 for a timed slot or $20 for flexible entry. NYC residents visit free on Thursdays with ID. The Edge & Vessel bundle saves 10% if you want both.

The Shed, 2 minutes' walk, is the moveable-shell arts centre next door, with a programme spanning visual art, dance and music. Worth checking what is on before you go, since exhibitions vary wildly in scale.

The High Line, 3 minutes' walk, begins at the southern edge of Hudson Yards and runs 1.45 miles down to the Meatpacking District. No ticket needed. Walking it south after an Edge visit is the best free hour in the neighbourhood, and it delivers you to Chelsea Market in about 25 minutes.

Little Island, 25 minutes' walk south along the water, is the tulip-shaped park on stilts in the Hudson at Pier 55. Free entry, though timed tickets are required for busy afternoon slots in summer.

Summit One Vanderbilt, 15 minutes by subway on the 7 to Grand Central, is the mirrored-room observation deck that visitors most often compare Edge to. It requires advance booking and sells out faster than Edge does.

Madison Square Garden and Penn Station, 10 minutes' walk east, make an easy pairing if you have event tickets. Times Square is one stop away on the 7, about 15 minutes on foot.

Rules, Bags, and Security

Bags: Normal-size backpacks and personal bags are fine. Large luggage, suitcases, oversize bags, bikes, scooters and skateboards are not permitted, and there is no locker or luggage storage anywhere on site. If you are visiting between hotel check-out and a flight, store your bags elsewhere first. All bags may be inspected on entry.

Security: Every visitor passes through a screening on Level 4. No weapons of any kind get through, including costume accessories. Outside food is confiscated. Sealed water in a clear plastic bottle is allowed; glass bottles are not permitted on the sky deck.

Photography: Encouraged, and hand-held cameras and smartphones are welcome throughout. Professional photographic equipment, video cameras, recording devices, tripods and lights are not allowed. Selfie sticks are permitted indoors only, not on the outdoor deck.

Children: Under-12s must be accompanied by an adult ticket holder for the whole visit. Strollers are welcome, though you will be asked to lift your child out and fold the stroller for lifts and escalators.

Animals: Service animals only.

Re-entry: Not permitted. Once you leave Level 100, your visit is over, so do everything you want to do in one pass.

What to wear: There is no dress code for general admission, but the deck is fully exposed and the wind at 1,100 feet is stronger and colder than at street level, often by a noticeable margin. Bring a layer even in summer, and think twice about a hat or a loose skirt.

Accessibility at Edge NYC

Edge is step-free throughout. Lifts and ramps run the full route from the Level 4 entrance to the Level 100 deck, and no stairs are required at any point to reach the outdoor sky deck, which is flat and wheelchair accessible. A service lift is available where needed.

Assistive listening devices and handheld captioning systems can be collected from the Guest Services Counter on Level 4, on a first-come, first-served basis.

Service animals are permitted throughout the experience.

The indoor installations use intense light, colour, reflection and sound, and several rooms involve moving light shows in enclosed, mirrored spaces. Visitors with photosensitivity or sensory sensitivities should be aware of this before entering, and the route through them is one-way.

Two areas are not accessible to anyone: the internal staircase between Levels 100 and 101, and the exterior crown staircase, which forms part of the City Climb experience and carries its own physical requirements.

Final Tips for Visiting Edge NYC

Book at least 14 days out to take advantage of the Advance Saver rate. It is up to 35% off the same visit, and it is the single largest saving available on any Edge ticket.
Take a 10am weekday slot if crowds bother you more than golden light. Tuesday to Thursday mornings are reliably the quietest hours of the week, and nobody will move you off the deck once you are up.
Walk the glass floor at midday, not at sunset. Overhead light makes the drop visible in photographs, and there is usually no queue, while at sunset there is a line and a glare on the panel.
Arrive 90 minutes before closing, not 50. The indoor installations take 30 to 60 minutes before you reach the elevator, and the last lift leaves 50 minutes before the doors shut.
Consider dinner at Peak instead of a ticket. A dining room reservation on the 101st floor has come with complimentary Edge access, which can turn an expensive meal into a reasonable one for two people. Confirm the policy when you reserve.
Bring a jacket whatever the forecast says. The deck sits 1,100 feet up with nothing blocking the wind, and people underestimate this in June as much as in January.
Do not build your trip around City Climb. It is currently off sale with no return date announced, whatever the resale sites are still listing.
Pair it with the High Line and Vessel for a full afternoon. Buy the Edge & Vessel bundle for 10% off, do Vessel first at ground level, go up to Edge for late afternoon, then walk the High Line south into Chelsea for dinner.