7. The Empire State Building

The Empire State Building is one of New York City’s most iconic buildings. The Art Deco masterpiece was constructed in a record twelve months and 45 days, at which point it became the tallest building in the world. It was officially opened by President Herbert Hoover pressing a button in Washington D.C. Despite all of the publicity it received, it took years to find tenants for the building and as a result, became known as the Empty State Building.

Visitors from King Kong to Frank Sinatra to Meg Ryan have enjoyed the views from the 86th and 102nd Floor Observatories, which are accessed via elevators. Once a year, the Empire State Building hosts its Run-Up event where athletes from around the world race up the building’s 1,576 steps. Paul Crake of Australia currently hold the record for completing this feat in 9 minutes 33 seconds.

Check out 10 other Secrets of the Empire State Building