Is the Empire State Building’s 102nd floor worth it?

It depends on what you want from the extra floor. For weather alone, look for a clear gap between the two assessments above; on most calm days there is none. In wind, rain or cold, the enclosed 102nd is the more comfortable place and usually scores higher. In fair weather the upgrade buys height and floor-to-ceiling glass, which is a matter of preference rather than forecast.

How much higher is the 102nd floor than the 86th?

About 61 metres. The 86th floor deck is 320 m (1,050 ft) above the ground and the 102nd floor 381 m (1,250 ft). Adding the building’s ground elevation of roughly 15 m gives about 335 m and 396 m above sea level, which are the figures compared with the cloud base.

Is the 86th floor outdoors?

Yes. The 86th floor is an open-air deck that runs around the building, and the operator adds heaters in winter. That openness is much of its appeal, and it is also why wind and rain count against it in this comparison while the enclosed 102nd is barely affected.

Can I visit the 102nd floor without the 86th?

Not on the operator’s standard tickets, which sell the 102nd together with the 86th. The 86th can be bought on its own. So the practical choice is between the 86th alone and both floors, and this page compares what the upper floor adds on the day you are looking at.

Is the 102nd floor above the clouds on a cloudy day?

This page cannot promise it. The nearby airport report gives the height where a cloud layer begins, not where it ends, so a base below the 102nd may mean the floor is inside the cloud rather than above it. When the base lies between the two floors, the 86th can be the one with a view out beneath the layer.

Daylight

Empire State 102nd vs 86th Floor: Worth It Today?

The 86th floor is the open-air terrace from the films. The 102nd is an enclosed glass room 61 metres higher, sold together with the 86th. Decide on the visit first, then on whether the upper floor adds enough today.

Today’s answer · 2026-09-27 · New York local date

The 102nd floor has the stronger weather score today

102nd Floor Observatory scores 6 points higher today. The enclosed upper floor is ahead in today’s assessment, because wind, rain or cold is weighing on the open-air 86th, or because the cloud base lies between the two floors. It is not a promise of an above-cloud view; the reasons for each floor are listed below.

Best window at 102nd Floor Observatory: 18:00–20:00 local time

Both levels are scored on the same hours with the same engine, differing only in altitude and exposure. A gap under 5 points is reported as level rather than turned into a winner.

Where each level stands in today’s cloud

Empire State Building's 86th Floor Observatory deck at 335 m stands above a cloud base near 222 m, but the top of that layer was not measured, so we cannot say whether the deck is inside the cloud or above it. 102nd Floor Observatory stands above the measured base, but the unmeasured cloud top means it may still be inside the layer.

Cloud geometry uses the latest saved snapshot, not necessarily the best visit window. Airport ceilings measure the base, not the top; a missing base does not confirm clear skies.

Snapshot updated 27 Sept 2026, 16:07 (America/New_York). Source: Open-Meteo (forecast + air quality) + METAR KLGA (New York/La Guardia Arpt, NY, US). This is the saved snapshot time, not a cloud-top observation.

Standard ticket

86th Floor Observatory

335 m above sea level · open-air

MAYBE

62 / 100

Best window: 18:00–19:00

Why

Heavy low cloud over the city
Clear close in, but haze trims the long-distance views
Golden hour — the best light of the day
Operating status unconfirmed

The upgrade

102nd Floor Observatory

396 m above sea level · enclosed

MAYBE

68 / 100

Best window: 18:00–20:00

Why

Heavy low cloud over the city
Clear close in, but haze trims the long-distance views
Golden hour — the best light of the day
Blue hour just after sunset
Operating status unconfirmed

Ticket links are for the attraction. Check which levels are included; this weather comparison does not verify upgrade availability.

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The practical difference

Factor	86th Floor Observatory	102nd Floor Observatory
Height above ground	320 m (1,050 ft)	381 m (1,250 ft); 61 m higher
Altitude used against clouds	About 335 m above sea level, including the site’s ground elevation	About 396 m above sea level
Exposure	Open-air deck around the building; the operator installs heaters in winter	Enclosed, with floor-to-ceiling glass
Ticket choice	The 86th floor can be bought on its own	Sold together with the 86th floor, so the question is whether to add it
Weather the floor feels	Wind, rain and cold reach visitors directly	Wind and rain stay outside; cloud and haze limit the view as they do below
Cloud-base source	LaGuardia airport (KLGA), about 10 km away — not an instrument on the building	The same LaGuardia report; it gives the base of a layer, never its top

Open air at 86, glass at 102: what the upgrade actually changes

The two floors sell different things. The 86th is the open-air observation deck wrapped around the building, the one from countless films, where you feel the wind and hear the street far below. The 102nd is a smaller, fully enclosed room with floor-to-ceiling windows, reached by a further lift. The operator sells the 86th on its own and the 102nd only together with it, so nobody is choosing between the floors; the real decision is whether the upper one is worth adding.

Both floors look through the same air, so a weather comparison can only separate them in two ways. The first is exposure: wind, rain and cold weigh on visitors at the open 86th and stay outside the glass at the 102nd. The second is cloud geometry, when a layer’s base lies between roughly 335 m and 396 m above sea level. On a calm, dry day neither applies and the scores come out level. That tie means there is no weather reason to pay more, not that the two experiences are the same.

The cloud question needs care. The ceiling used here comes from LaGuardia airport, about ten kilometres away; it is not measured at the building, and it reports where a layer starts, never where it ends. A base just below the 102nd can put the upper floor inside the cloud while the 86th looks out underneath it, so more height is sometimes worse. Nothing in these reports can promise that the upper floor stands above the cloud, and a high overcast leaves both floors with the same grey ceiling and a usable city view.

A practical way to choose: if the open-air terrace is the reason you came, the 86th is the visit, and on fair days this page will usually show no weather case for more. If it is windy, wet or bitterly cold, the enclosed 102nd becomes the more comfortable place to spend time, and the score will lean towards it. Either way, neither floor can show you the Empire State Building itself; for that skyline photograph you need a deck that looks across at it, such as Top of the Rock.

Heights, visitor layouts and ticket structure checked against the official operator’s page on 27 September 2026. Check the operator’s current hours and access notices before booking.

Common questions about 86th Floor Observatory and 102nd Floor Observatory

Is the Empire State Building’s 102nd floor worth it?: It depends on what you want from the extra floor. For weather alone, look for a clear gap between the two assessments above; on most calm days there is none. In wind, rain or cold, the enclosed 102nd is the more comfortable place and usually scores higher. In fair weather the upgrade buys height and floor-to-ceiling glass, which is a matter of preference rather than forecast.
How much higher is the 102nd floor than the 86th?: About 61 metres. The 86th floor deck is 320 m (1,050 ft) above the ground and the 102nd floor 381 m (1,250 ft). Adding the building’s ground elevation of roughly 15 m gives about 335 m and 396 m above sea level, which are the figures compared with the cloud base.
Is the 86th floor outdoors?: Yes. The 86th floor is an open-air deck that runs around the building, and the operator adds heaters in winter. That openness is much of its appeal, and it is also why wind and rain count against it in this comparison while the enclosed 102nd is barely affected.
Can I visit the 102nd floor without the 86th?: Not on the operator’s standard tickets, which sell the 102nd together with the 86th. The 86th can be bought on its own. So the practical choice is between the 86th alone and both floors, and this page compares what the upper floor adds on the day you are looking at.
Is the 102nd floor above the clouds on a cloudy day?: This page cannot promise it. The nearby airport report gives the height where a cloud layer begins, not where it ends, so a base below the 102nd may mean the floor is inside the cloud rather than above it. When the base lies between the two floors, the 86th can be the one with a view out beneath the layer.

Updated 27 Sept 2026, 20:07 UTC· Sources: Open-Meteo (forecast + air quality) + METAR KLGA (New York/La Guardia Arpt, NY, US), ViewOrSkip published-hours calendar (Tier 1, day-level, no live feed)