Best Observation Deck in New York for Families (With Kids)

If you’re deciding which New York City observation deck to visit with kids, this guide is for families who want to choose one that actually feels worth the money.

Observation decks are one of the most popular things to do in New York with kids, but they’re also expensive — and with options like SUMMIT One Vanderbilt, Edge, and the Empire State Building, most families won’t want to do more than one. That makes choosing the best observation deck in NYC an important part of planning your trip.

This guide is for families looking for a clear, practical answer to:

• what are the best observation decks in NYC for kids

• which New York observation deck is worth it

• how they compare in terms of experience, cost and engagement

• and which one works best depending on your child’s age

Quick Answer: What Is the Best Observation Deck in New York for Families?

For most families, SUMMIT One Vanderbilt is the best observation deck in NYC with kids.

From our experience, it’s the most engaging and memorable option because it’s not just about the view — it’s interactive, immersive, and feels like an experience rather than just a viewpoint.

The Empire State Building is still worth considering if you want something iconic and straightforward, while Edge offers strong views but felt the least exciting for kids overall.

From our trip, visiting an observation deck ended up being one of the standout moments. It’s one of the few activities where kids really grasp the scale of New York, and it tends to stick with them long after the trip.

Where relevant, we’ve included the tickets and options we used or would recommend. Some links are affiliate links, which means we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only share experiences we’ve personally enjoyed and believe are genuinely worth it.

SUMMIT One Vanderbilt (Best Overall for Families)

SUMMIT One Vanderbilt is located next to Grand Central Terminal in Midtown and, from our experience, is easily the most interactive and engaging observation deck in New York for families.

What sets it apart is that it’s not just about going to the top and looking at the view. Instead, you move through a series of immersive rooms, including mirrored spaces, glass floors, and open-air viewing areas.

The standout for kids is the silver balloon room, which turns the whole experience into something much more playful. It feels less like a viewpoint and more like an attraction, which makes a big difference when you’re visiting with children.

From a family perspective, this is where SUMMIT really wins. Because you’re constantly moving between spaces and discovering something new, kids stay engaged for much longer than they would at a traditional observation deck.

By the time you get to the outdoor viewing platforms, you also get some of the best classic New York views, including:

• the Empire State Building

• Central Park

• Lower Manhattan

• the Hudson River

• Midtown skyline

What surprised us most is how much longer we stayed here than expected. It didn’t feel rushed or forced — it felt like a complete experience rather than a quick stop.

If you’re only choosing one observation deck with kids and want something that will hold their attention, this is the one I’d book.

Edge at Hudson Yards (Good for Views, Less Engaging for Kids)

The Edge is located at Hudson Yards and is best known for its outdoor sky deck, which extends out from the building and gives you open-air views across the city.

It’s visually impressive straight away. The platform itself feels dramatic, and features like the glass floor — where you look directly down — are a big draw, especially for first-time visitors.

From an adult perspective, the views are excellent. But from a family perspective, the experience is much simpler.

Once you’ve:

• stepped out onto the platform

• taken in the views

• walked across the glass floor

• taken a few photos

…there isn’t a huge amount else to do.

We visited Edge after SUMMIT, and that comparison made the difference very obvious. While Edge looks incredible, it felt more like a short viewing experience, whereas SUMMIT felt like something you actively move through and explore.

With Joshua, the difference was clear. At Edge, the excitement was quite short-lived. At SUMMIT, he was engaged the whole time.

That doesn’t mean Edge isn’t worth doing — it just depends on what you’re looking for.

If your priority is the view itself and a quick, iconic moment, Edge works well. But for families choosing just one, it’s harder to justify over SUMMIT.

If you're trying to decide between the two, this is how they compare in terms of timing, price and availability:

Empire State Building (Most Iconic Experience)

The Empire State Building is the most famous New York City observation deck, and for many families it’s the one that first comes to mind.

It’s a classic experience — you go up, take in the view, walk around the outdoor platform, and then come back down. It feels very “New York,” and for adults especially, that sense of history and recognition adds a lot to the experience.

What makes it stand out is:

• the iconic skyline location

• the open-air observation deck on the 86th floor

• and the ability to go higher to the 102nd floor for indoor views

There’s also a small museum-style experience on the way up, which helps set the context and adds a bit more engagement before you reach the top. From a family perspective, though, it’s still a traditional observation deck.

Kids tend to:

• enjoy the elevator ride and the initial “wow” moment

• take in the view

• but move through the experience relatively quickly

When we visited (before travelling with our son Joshua), it felt like a great, iconic stop — but based on our experience at other decks since, it’s not as engaging for children as newer options like SUMMIT.

If you want a classic, must-do New York experience, this is still worth considering — especially if it’s your first visit. But if your priority is keeping kids fully engaged, there are stronger options.

Top of the Rock (Best Views of the Skyline)

Top of the Rock, located at Rockefeller Center, is often considered to have the best overall view in New York — and it’s easy to see why.

Unlike the Empire State Building, you’re looking at it, not from it, which gives you a more complete skyline view. You also get a fantastic perspective over:

• Central Park

• Midtown Manhattan

• and the wider city beyond

The layout is spread across multiple levels, including:

• indoor viewing areas

• open-air terraces

• and different height platforms that give slightly varied perspectives

From a family point of view, this slight variety helps. It doesn’t feel quite as static as the Empire State Building, and there’s a bit more space to move around. That said, it’s still very much a view-focused experience.

There’s no interactivity, so once you’ve:

• taken in the skyline

• taken photos

• walked between levels

…most families are ready to move on fairly quickly.

The biggest advantage here is location. Being in Midtown makes it very easy to combine with:

• Central Park

• Fifth Avenue

• or other nearby stops

If your priority is the best photo views of New York (especially with the Empire State Building in the shot), this is a strong option — just expect a shorter, more traditional experience for kids.

One World Observatory (Most Structured and Indoor Option)

One World Trade Center, located at One World Trade Center in Lower Manhattan, offers the most structured and modern experience of all the observation decks. Unlike the others, it’s entirely indoors, which gives it a very different feel.

The experience starts with:

• a high-speed elevator ride with a digital timeline of New York

• followed by curated video presentations and exhibits

• before opening into a large indoor viewing area

From a design perspective, it’s very polished. Everything feels modern and well thought through. From a family perspective, the biggest difference is how guided the experience feels.

Some families will like:

• the structure

• the storytelling elements

• and the indoor environment (especially in bad weather)

Others may find:

• it feels more like an exhibition than an experience

• there’s less freedom to explore

• and the lack of outdoor space removes some of the excitement

Compared to something like SUMMIT, it’s noticeably less interactive, and for kids, that can impact how engaging it feels. That said, the views over Lower Manhattan, the Statue of Liberty, and the harbour are excellent — and very different from Midtown perspectives.

If you’re visiting with younger children or want a weather-proof, more structured experience, this works well — but it feels less memorable as a standout “wow” activity compared to the more immersive decks.

If you’re still deciding, it’s worth comparing all the main observation decks before booking — each one offers a very different experience:

So, Which Observation Deck Is Best for Families?

If you’re visiting New York with kids and only planning to do one observation deck, the choice really comes down to what kind of experience you want.

• SUMMIT One Vanderbilt → most interactive and memorable

• Empire State Building → most iconic, traditional experience

• Top of the Rock → arguably the best skyline views

• Edge → dramatic views, but a shorter, more limited experience

From our experience, SUMMIT One Vanderbilt is the best observation deck in NYC for families.

It’s not just about the view — it feels like a full experience. Moving through the mirrored rooms, glass floors and balloon space kept Joshua engaged the whole time, which made a big difference compared to the more traditional decks.

The others still have their place. The Empire State Building has that classic “New York” feeling, and Top of the Rock is brilliant if you care most about the skyline view. But with kids, they tend to be quicker visits.

One other thing we realised is that you probably don’t need to do more than one. They’re all expensive, and once you’ve seen the skyline from above, the views are broadly similar.

If you’re choosing just one and want something that feels worth the time and money for the whole family, SUMMIT is the one we’d book again.

plan your NEW YORK FAMILY trip

If you’re planning a New York family trip, these are the key guides that will help you pull everything together. Start with the itinerary — it makes everything else easier to plan.

About Plan Family Escapes

We’re a UK-based family sharing real, experience-led travel guides based on trips we’ve taken with our school-age son Joshua across destinations like Lapland, Turkey and India.

Everything we share is based on what we’ve personally experienced — with honest advice on what actually works when travelling with kids, focusing on making family travel easier, more comfortable and genuinely enjoyable.