I visited the Empire State Building on a Sunday morning in August 2025 and was pleasantly surprised by how quiet it was. We bought our tickets from the machines at the entrance and went straight in — no queues at all.

The route to the observation decks was completely step free, with high-speed lifts up to the lower deck. On the way to the lifts, we passed up through the a few museum rooms, which I found surprisingly interesting. The rooms were laid out with plenty of space to manoeuvre a wheelchair around the exhibits. There were a few videos playing in little boxes, most of which were up too high for me to see, but there were plenty of other things to look at so I didn't find this an issue.

When we reached the first deck, staff directed me along a slightly different route to avoid steps. Out on the open‑air observation deck, I was so impressed with the effort to make the experience equal for wheelchair users — not just technically accessible. There were sections with lowered walls with glass panels on all four sides of the building, so wheelchair users can have the same views as people standing. There were also mounted binoculars at an accessible height, although I didn't try these.

The higher observation deck (which required the more expensive ticket to access) was very different – but still completely accessible for wheelchair users. The room was completely enclosed, with glass extending right from the floor to the ceiling. I could get right up close to it the with my wheelchair and looked straight down at midtown Manhattan, spotting our hotel and the café we’d had lunch. Personally, I preferred the open‑air feel of the lower deck, but I’m glad I did both.

I would definitely recommend The Empire State Building observation deck to wheelchair users – I visited two observation decks whilst I was in New York (the other was Top of the Rock at the Rockefeller Centre) and while both were technically wheelchair accessible, the Empire State Building was by far the most inclusive. Here, the experience for wheelchair users was in no way compromised.