More than 10 years in the making, the observation deck on the top three floors of the One World Trade Center -- on the 100th to 103rd floors, 1,200 feet above Manhattan -- is set to open on May 29. You can buy your tickets right now, ahead of the opening. Here's what you need to know:
At $32 a ticket (discounted for seniors and children), the experience doesn't come cheap. But it does include a pre-show program, titled "Voices of the Building," that incorporates first-person accounts describing the rise of One World Trade Center, plus interactive displays describing the foundation that it sits on and a time-lapse video presentation. You reach the deck in under 60 seconds via Sky Pod elevators -- some of the fastest in the world -- that feature floor-to-ceiling LED TVs displaying the growth of New York City and the development of the Manhattan skyline. For a more in-depth preview, this video shows the visitor's experience start-to-finish.The 100th level also features the Sky Portal, where you can step onto a 14-foot-wide circular disc in the floor for a live HD view of the city streets below. One floor up, you'll find a fine dining restaurant, a café, and a bar.
Just can't wait? According to the New York Post, on May 28, preview admission will be free on a first come, first served basis. More details on that are to come. In the meantime, to get you in the mood, you can watch "The Rise" -- a crowdsourced video composed of Instagram images documenting the early stages of the building construction through its recent completion.