|||

Home>United States>New York

Rockefeller Center

An iconic complex of Art Deco buildings and public art, commissioned by the Rockefeller family.

TravelCurious Tip

Go to the Top of the Rock observation deck for a stunning view from the 70th floor.

Keep it in the family

Commissioned by the most powerful family in US history, the Rockefeller Center is quite a landmark. it was the largest ever private building project of modern times. Situated in the heart of Midtown Manhattan, construction of its 14 main buildings began in 1930 and was completed in 1939; five more have been added since.

The art and architecture teem with superlative examples of Art Deco style, the defining aesthetic of flourishing interwar New York: Machine Age imagery is combined with craft motifs in a futuristic advancement of the floral impulses of Art Nouveau. The buildings are all used commercially, and have been the home news agencies, radio shows, airlines and more in their time. The centrepiece is 30 Rockefeller Center (or 30 Rock), a skyscraper that is currently home to the NBC network; in 1932 a girder used in its 260-metre high construction was the site for the iconic photograph Lunchtime atop a Skyscraper.

Machine Age Manhattan

A series of underground passages run beneath the complex, filled with dozens of shops and restaurants; the plaza at street level is lined with around 200 flagpoles, displaying the flags of UN member countries, US states and territories (and strictly the all-American stars and stripes during public holidays). The giant Christmas tree erected here yearly has been a festive beacon for New Yorkers for seven decades.

The Rockefeller Center is also known for its iconic public artworks. Its largest sculpture is the 14 metre Atlas, by Lee Lawrie; the sunken plaza in front of 30 Rock features the famous gilded bronze Prometheus statue by Paul Manship; News by Isamu Noguchi, a dynamic stainless steel icon of the journalistic profession, sits above the entrance of Number 50. Acclaimed Mexican muralist Diego Rivera was commissioned to create a fresco for the lobby of 30 Rock, which was then the RCA Building. After the Socialist artist refused to remove an image of Lenin (he offered to counterbalance it with a likeness of Abraham Lincoln), Nelson Rockefeller had the fresco destroyed. In its place today is the mural American Progress by Catalan artist Josep Maria Sert.

Nearby Attractions

See all attractions in New York

Neon-lit and monumentally busy, this most famous of intersections is a mecca for tourists, shoppers and protesters.

Grand Central Station

One of the USA's most famous landmarks, this historic transport hub made New York what it is today.

St Patrick’s Cathedral

This imposing Neo-Gothic construction has been the beacon of Catholicism in New York since 1878.

There's a show for everyone in the world's premier theatre district.

A 68 story skyscraper in Midtown Manhattan, built and owned by the billionaire Donald Trump.

Museum of Modern Art

Gallery devoted to the story of art from the late 19th century to the modern day

Related Tours

Private Walking Tour of Modern Manhattan

Experience the bustle of Manhattan in this extensive trip around some of New York City’s finest sights. Journey beyond sightseeing and discover their secrets in the company of your own professional, local guide.

See some of New York's best architectural masterpieces
Enjoy the bustle of Times Square
Learn about what makes Broadway so special in the theatre world
Walk through the art deco Rockefeller Center
Step inside the beautiful St Patrick's Cathedral
Become absorbed in New York's famous Fifth Avenue

Monuments of New York

In this intimate tour of NYC, you will discover some of midtown Manhattan’s best known and much loved attractions. You will begin at the most iconic transportation hub in the United States— Grand Central Terminal. Catch a perfect view of the gleaming spire of the Chrysler Building, another of New York's Art Deco masterpieces, explore the New York Public Library where you will meet the giant stone lions, and enjoy Bryant Park—a lovely green oasis in the heart of Midtown. You will then continue west to the crossroads of the world —Times Square— to view the news ticker on the One Times Square Building, the NASDAQ board, and the myriad neon signs.

Bright Lights and Old School Glamour

Soaking up the bright lights, you will learn about the evolution of Broadway and how theatre transformed Times Square into one of the most famous destinations in the world. You will have the pleasure of seeing many of the historic buildings in the area dating back to 1900, as you head towards the recently restored art deco masterpiece— Radio City Music Hall. A short walk will lead you to the Rockefeller Center, a magnificent complex of towering skyscrapers.

As your tour continues, you will see the beautiful, gothic St Patrick's Cathedral, seat of the Archdiocese of New York. Heading north toward Central Park, you will have your chance to be part of the shopping mecca that is Fifth Avenue, abounding in old world glamour. Your tour will finish at the corner of Central Park, near the Zoo and Wollman Rink, where you will be able to explore this green oasis in the very heart of New York City.

Private Full Day Highlights with Top of the Rock tickets

Explore the Big Apple - from the bustling streets of Downtown Manhattan to the serenity of Central Park. On this private tour you will:

· See the best sights of Lower Manhattan, from the National 9/11 Memorial to St Paul’s Chapel
· Walk around quirky, local Greenwich Village
· Experience the bustle of Times Square
· Enjoy the grandeur of St Patrick’s Cathedral
· Stroll in both Grand Central Terminal and Central Park
· Finish your tour gazing out on the city from the views from the Rockefeller Center

Your tour begins at the National 9/11 Memorial and visit Ground Zero— the original site of the The World Financial Center. Here your guide will share with you the history of the World Trade Center and discuss the tragic events of 9/11. You will also visit Saint Paul's Chapel, which was the base for rescue workers who heroically searched for survivors on that fateful day.

Next you will head towards trendy Greenwich Village, home to over a century's worth of bohemians, artists, musicians, novelists, poets and intellectuals of New York City. From here you will take the subway to Wall Street in lower Manhattan, arguably the most important financial center of the world. You will learn about some of the most important moments in US history, from the swearing in of George Washington as the first American President, to the signing of the Buttonwood Agreement—the foundation of the New York Stock Exchange.

Bright Lights

You will also have the opportunity to explore the gothic architecture of Saint Patrick’s Cathedral, where writer F. Scott Fitzgerald was married. Then, you will walk to Grand Central Terminal, the most iconic transportation hub in the United States, with the beautiful celestial ceiling murals.

Your guide will take you to Times Square in the midtown area to view the news ticker on the One Times Square Building, the NASDAQ board, and all the fluorescent neon advertisements. You will then venture to another icon of NYC—the Rockefeller Center. Here, your guide will give you your tickets for the Rockefeller Observation deck and part with you. Cap off your tour with a breathtaking bird’s eye view of Manhattan and the rest of the Big Apple.

Private Walking Tour of Midtown Manhattan with Express Empire State Building Tickets

South of Central Park lies one of the world's most important cultural and business centers. With many of the city’s most famous sights, midtown Manhattan is one of the best places to experience the spirit of New York. On your fascinating Private Walking Tour of Manhattan, soak up its unique ambience, breathe in its frenetic pace, and seek out its unforgettable highlights.

Begin your tour in the heart of New York City’s theater district.
Yield to the neon-lit bustle of Times Square, NYC’s most famous intersection, a monumentally busy mecca for tourists, shoppers and protesters.
Admire some of Manhattan’s most beautiful Art Deco structures, like the Rockefeller building, and Lawrie’s statue of Atlas.
Marvel at Neo-Gothic St Patrick’s Cathedral - the city’s beacon of Catholicism since 1878.
Stroll glamorous, affluent Fifth Avenue to gaze at the world-famous window displays of Saks Fifth Avenue and Lord and Taylor.
Enjoy jaw-dropping views from the top of the famous 443m Empire State Building, one of NYC’s iconic landmarks.

Conjure up images of New York City and it will be Manhattan: the ritzy, glitzy heart of the Big Apple jam-packed with big-name attractions. If there is a per-place limit on iconic landmarks, Manhattan flouts the rules - squeezing Central Park, the Empire State Building, the Met and MoMA, Times Square’s 3,685-square-foot flashing LED screens and Broadway’s bright lights into 22.7 small square miles.

Well known by actors and stage-junkies, New York’s dazzling Theater District has been part of Manhattan since the late 19th century and its rich history provides a glorious mix of greasepaint, star-spotting and backstage gossip. While in the bustle of Times Square, learn how it earned its name when the New York Times opened an office there and erected an electronic news ticker - “The Zipper'' - in 1928. Though the newspaper office has relocated, the area remains a media hotspot, serving as host and home to the likes of MTV and Condé Nast. Times Square is an icon, a Hollywood backdrop, and the heart of the Big Apple, and where there is proof - should you need it - that New York is the city that never sleeps. After a long stroll past New York’s Public Library, depart from your guide in front of the Empire State Building, where you will enjoy express tickets to the top of the Empire State Building to retrace your steps and gaze out upon the city that never sleeps.