The Empire State Building celebrated its 90th anniversary on Saturday May 1st with a ceremony to turn on the famous lights that decorate the top of the building. The iconic New York skyscraper is considered one of the most recognizable buildings in the Big Apple and the world.
It is the same ceremony with which the building, visited annually by some 4 million people, was inaugurated on May 1, 1931. The celebrations this year were led by the mayor of the city, Bill de Blasio, who raised the huge lever that activates the lights.
The Empire State Building, the international icon and symbol of dreams, was a record breaker and trendsetter 90 years ago. Today she is fully modernized for the 21st century, a world leader in energy efficiency retrofits in the built environment, indoor environmental quality, and on building health practices
Anthony E. Malkin, chairman, president, and CEO of Empire State Realty Trust
The first time the lights were turned on, then U.S. President Herbert Hoover did the honors of “flipping the switch,” although on that occasion it was from the White House.
To continue celebrating its 90th birthday over the next few months, the Empire State will offer a special “90 in 90 Tour” package to visitors, which summarizes its nine decades of history in 90 minutes and gives access to areas of the building not normally seen by tourists.
We’ve welcomed everyone from the Queen of England to the Queen of Christmas, Mariah Carey, through our doors, and our most important visitors are our Observatory guests from around the world who today visit our brand new, $165 million recreation of our entire experience. With New York reopened as of July 1, we look forward to visits from our fans near and far who can safely travel to celebrate this important anniversary
Jean-Yves Ghazi, President of the Observatory
The 443.2-meter-tall building was the tallest building in New York from its opening on May 1, 1931, until the construction of the Twin Towers in 1970. The 9/11 attack gave it back that title until 2012, when the One World Trade Center was built, replacing the two skyscrapers that disappeared with the terrorist attack.
The Empire State Building, named a U.S. World Heritage Site in 1986, is also a cultural icon that has been featured in more than 250 films, and its size is such that it has its own zip code, 10018.
