How to get tickets to Edge, the Hudson Yards observation deck

Nearly a year after the first public pieces of the Hudson Yards megaproject opened to the public, its biggest show-stopper is ready for its debut: This week, Edge, the sky-high observation deck located at 30 Hudson Yards, will welcome its first visitors.

Though there are several components to the whole Edge experience (including plenty of propaganda intended to educate the public on the sustainability and forward-thinkingness of the Hudson Yards megaproject), the main attraction is the observation deck itself: an outdoor platform that cantilevers off the side of Kohn Pedersen Fox’s supertall tower, hovering 1,131 feet above Manhattan.

The experience is either thrilling or terrifying, depending on how you feel about heights: The platform offers spectacular views of Manhattan, the outer boroughs, New Jersey, and beyond; it also has some truly vertigo-inducing elements, like a glass floor that lets you look down directly onto Midtown buildings. (Prepare to see plenty of selfies taken there by the truly brave.)

Those who wish to visit Edge will need a ticket to do so. There are various tiers of tickets, with the base rate for adults at $36, $31 for children ages 6-12, and $34 for seniors. New York City residents get a small discount: Adult tickets are $34, kids’ tickets are $29, and seniors are charged $32. There’s also a “flex pass” that allows you to visit at any time on a particular day, rather than at a specific time; prices for those passes are $56 for adults, $51 for children, and $54 for seniors. In all cases, you’ll save by buying ahead of time; prices go up by $2 if you choose to buy on-site rather than online.

If you’re willing to cough up even more money, there are special “champagne” and “premium” passes, which come with a glass os bubbly and a photo book from your visit, respectively. Prices for those are closer to $100 for adults.

Access to the observation deck is through the Hudson Yards mall (and it is accessible for visitors in wheelchairs, or those who may need audio assistance), and it’s open from 8 a.m. to midnight, with the last tickets offered from 11 p.m. to midnight. (Its website also helpfully tells you when the sunset will be on the day of your visit, for those really good #goldenhour shots.) The ticket gets you an hour to take in the whole experience, so prepare to Instagram to your heart’s content.