At street level, Times Square is a competition for your attention. Screens flash, traffic inches forward and someone is always trying to get a photograph. The Skywalk changes the angle: you rise above the commotion without getting so high that the square disappears into the skyline.
Times Square Skywalk is an open-air viewing deck at One Times Square, 1475 Broadway, about 19 floors above the plaza. Standard admission starts at $30 before tax. Choose it for a close view of Times Square; choose a much taller deck if your dream photograph is the whole Manhattan skyline.
By CenterNYC Editorial · Checked October 13, 2026 · Read in Hebrew · קראו בעברית
The square is the show
A glass elevator takes you up to the wraparound deck. The basic Skywalk experience includes the elevated glass walkway, the historic Centennial Ball and a wall where visitors can leave confetti wishes for New Year’s Eve. It is a combination of a view and a close encounter with the square’s countdown traditions.
Our preferred moment is after dark, when the signs become the scenery. That is an editorial recommendation, not a promise about sunset slots: choose a time actually offered for your date. The outdoor setting also means dressing for wind and temperature, even if you have spent most of the day inside warm shops.
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Three tickets, three different evenings
The important distinction is the Ball. Seeing a historic ball in an exhibition is not the same as visiting the New Year’s Eve Ball on the roof. The basic ticket does not include that rooftop experience.
| Ticket | Published starting price | What it adds |
|---|---|---|
| Times Square Skywalk | $30 before tax: $25 admission + $5 booking fee | Glass elevator and viewing deck; no rooftop Ball access |
| Times Travel | $44 base price, plus tax | Interactive history experience and Skywalk; Ball access costs extra |
| New Year’s Eve Ball Experience | $155 base price, plus tax | Close-up Ball photo opportunity, Times Travel and Skywalk |
These are the operator’s published prices, checked October 13, 2026, not final checkout totals. NYC residents are offered a $20 base Skywalk ticket plus the $5 booking fee and tax, with an NYC billing address required. Military and first-responder offers use eligibility verification through GOVX.
For two people, standard Skywalk admission starts at $60 before tax. The jump to the Ball package is substantial: choose it because the countdown tradition matters to you, not because its name sounds like the standard ticket.
What does Times Travel add?
Times Travel turns the building’s history into a sequence of staged, multisensory scenes: a virtual 1930s airship, a digital taxi journey through Broadway’s past and the countdown atmosphere of Eternal Midnight. Five historic New Year’s Eve balls give the spectacle something tangible to gather around.
This is the option to consider if someone in your group likes a story with their view. If you simply want to step outside, take photographs and continue your evening, the basic Skywalk keeps the decision simpler.
Getting there and planning the visit
Go to 1475 Broadway, New York, NY 10036. Open One Times Square in Google Maps. Times Sq–42 St serves the 1, 2, 3, 7, N, Q, R, W and S trains; A, C and E serve the connected Port Authority station. Service changes can affect a particular journey.
The official visitor page directs Skywalk visitors to buy timed tickets online and says there is no on-site box office. Operating hours vary by attraction, so use the offered sessions for your date. Arrive with your full party about five minutes early. As a planning allowance, leave about an hour for a basic visit including arrival and security, rather than squeezing it between two immovable bookings.
Children under 12 need an adult. The operator describes the building as ADA compliant and permits wheelchairs. Strollers must be under 36 inches wide and may need folding for elevators; there is no stroller parking. Leave luggage and oversized bags at the hotel. Selfie sticks and tripods or monopods longer than 12 inches fully extended are prohibited; handheld cameras and phones are allowed. The visitor FAQ has the full rules.
For Shabbat-observant visitors, plan this paid elevator-based outing Sunday–Thursday, outside Jewish holidays. Friday afternoon is best left clear for getting back and preparing for Shabbat.
Photographs worth slowing down for
Try one wide frame that shows the street grid, then a tighter picture of the signs and people below. At night, hold your phone steadily and give it time to expose; the brightest billboard can fool the camera into making the rest of the scene too dark. Keep walkways clear and work within the equipment rules.
For a preview, watch CBS New York’s Skywalk opening video. It opens on CBS rather than loading a video player while you read.
Is it the right deck for your trip?
If this is your only paid viewpoint and you want a broad skyline, compare the other observation decks first. Skywalk’s strength is its relationship with the square. It works especially well as a separate stop on a Midtown day, with a Broadway show later—provided you leave a comfortable buffer for the theater’s entry time.
For a completely different proposition, Centre360 is free but downtown, limited to weekdays and dependent on scarce reservations. Neither ticket needs to become a competition for height: pick the view you actually want.
Build dinner around one of our kosher restaurant guides. The presence of other food attractions in One Times Square does not establish kosher supervision.
Quick answers
Does the basic Skywalk ticket include the rooftop Ball?
No. Rooftop Ball access is a separate experience. The basic Skywalk ticket includes the viewing deck.
Is the advertised $30 the final price?
No. It includes the $25 base admission and $5 booking fee; tax is added at checkout.
Is Skywalk a very high observation deck?
It is about 19 floors above Times Square. Its appeal is the close relationship to the square, rather than the height of Manhattan’s tallest decks.
This researched guide draws on the official pages linked above; it is not a personal visit report. A current multi-source audience score has not yet been verified.