1 World Trade Center, One World Trade Center, One WTC, 1 WTC, Freedom Tower… it has many nicknames. The building, standing on the site of the twin towers destroyed during the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, commands attention. With 1,775.98 ft, it is not only the tallest building in New York and the Western Hemisphere. Visitors can explore its observation deck located at 1,253 ft or the nearby 9/11 Memorial and Museum.
-
Table of Contents
How to Visit One World Trade Center
🚇 How to Get There
The complex is located at 285 Fulton Street, and you can easily reach it using the New York subway. Simply get off at Park Place on the red lines 2 and 3, Chambers Street – World Trade Center on the blue lines A, C, or E, or Cortlandt Street on the yellow lines N and R.
🏙️ Observation Deck
The One World Observatory observation deck is situated on floors 100-102, 1,253 ft above ground level.
The main attraction is the Main Observatory on the 100th floor, offering 360° views of New York City. One highlight is the grandly named Sky Portal, consisting of 14 HD screens placed beneath visitors’ feet, displaying live footage of the streets below. The installation creates the illusion that only a glass layer separates visitors from the bustling street below.
Riding the elevator is an experience in itself. The journey takes less than 60 seconds, during which LED displays on the walls showcase the evolution of New York’s skyline from the 17th century to the present.
🕒 Opening Hours
One World Trade Center is open daily from 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM, with the last entry allowed at 8:00 PM.
🎟️ Tickets to One World Observatory
Tickets to One World Trade Center are relatively expensive, but so is all of New York. I recommend purchasing them online in advance. You can find them a few dollars cheaper on this site than on the official website.
The ticket price for adults is $41, and for children aged 6 to 12, it is $30. Younger children can enter for free. Tickets are sold for a specific date and time slot. I last updated the ticket prices on February 6, 2025, and the listed price includes all taxes and booking fees.
🎫 Use The New York Pass for Entry
You can enter the One World Observatory observation deck using the tourist pass The New York Pass. Purchase it for a set number of days, during which you can visit more than 100 attractions in New York without additional fees.
These attractions include the Empire State Building, the Top of the Rock observation deck, and the Edge observation deck. The New York Pass is worth buying for a 3-day period, allowing you to visit the most interesting (and expensive) attractions. You’ll see the best sights while avoiding the feeling of rushing from one place to another.
👍 Helpful Tips for Visitors
I recommend buying a standard ticket for a time just before sunset. This way, you can see New York both during daylight and illuminated at night. Be sure to purchase your tickets well in advance, as daily visitor numbers are expected to exceed 10,000.
The tour also includes exhibits such as Voices, See Forever Theater, and City Pulse. Voices tells the stories of people who contributed to the construction of One World Trade Center. See Forever Theater is a two-minute video featuring aerial shots of New York combined with time-lapse footage and abstract graphics. City Pulse consists of a circle of 12 HD screens offering additional information about the buildings visible from the observation deck, with interactive gesture controls.
On the 101st floor, you’ll find the luxury restaurant ONE DINE, which boasts an unforgettable view of the surroundings. Reservations are required, and you should expect to spend around $100 per person.
-
How the Tallest Skyscraper in the USA Was Built
One World Trade Center is located in New York’s Lower Manhattan district at a site known as Ground Zero. The construction of the skyscraper began with excavation work on April 27, 2006. On December 18 of the same year, a ceremony was held in the nearby Battery Park City district, during which the public could sign a 29.9 ft steel column forming part of the building’s framework. It was secured and encased in concrete the following day.
On Monday, April 30, 2012, One World Trade Center became the tallest building in the USA, surpassing the Empire State Building. The final structural element installed was the antenna, secured on the roof on May 10, 2013. With the antenna, the building reached its final height of 1,775.98 ft. The grand opening took place on Monday, November 3, 2014.
1 WTC primarily serves as an office building, with tenants including publishing company Condé Nast, media company DAZN Group, and office provider Servcorp. The skyscraper’s design was created by American architect David Childs and Polish-born Daniel Libeskind.
-
Fun Facts About One World Trade Center
The height of One World Trade Center, 1,776.00 ft, symbolizes the year of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
The construction costs exceeded an astronomical $3.9 billion, making it the most expensive building in the world at the time. A significant portion of these expenses was allocated to security measures designed to protect the structure from potential terrorist attacks, including concrete foundations extending to a depth of 184 ft. The building’s walls, staircases, and elevators are reinforced with solid reinforced concrete, enhancing its resistance to potential airplane impacts.
The total floor space of One World Trade Center exceeds 325,000 square meters. For comparison, this is about two-thirds the size of Vatican City, the smallest country in the world. During the era of the original World Trade Center, the building even had its own ZIP code (postal code) of 10048.
Notably, the building features five elevators, some of the fastest in North America, according to several sources. They travel from the ground floor to the 102nd floor in under 60 seconds, with a top speed slightly exceeding 23 mph. This translates to more than 33 ft per second.
-
Photos of One World Trade Center
Contribute with Your Question or Personal Experience