The Empire State Building Ushers in Autumn with an Iconic NYC Pop-Up, Festive Photo Corner, Special Tower Lighting, Exclusive Ticket Offer, and Visit from Halloween Queen Heidi Klum

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct 31, 2025--

Trick-or-Treat! The Empire State Building (ESB) today announced details for its fall and Halloween festivities with an iconic pop-up, special tower lighting, fall photo corner, exclusive ticket offers and a visit from the Queen of Halloween, Heidi Klum.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251031555800/en/

“The Empire State Building has always been at the heart of New York’s holiday celebrations,” said Dan Rogoski, SVP, general manager of the Empire State Building Observatory. “Our fall festivities bring that same energy to the ‘World’s Most Famous Building’ as they blend tradition, creativity, and a bit of spooky fun for all our visitors.”

Queen of Halloween

Known worldwide as the undisputed Queen of Halloween, Heidi Klum visited the Empire State Building to flip the famous light switch and kick off the spooky holiday celebrations.

After the ceremony, she toured the Observatory Experience, recently named the number one Top Attraction in New York City for the fourth consecutive year in Tripadvisor’s’ 2025 Travelers Choice Awards: Best of the Best Things to Do. Visitors are invited to embrace Halloween and show up in their festive costumes all weekend for a one-of-a-kind experience from the heart of NYC.

A New York Classic

Through Nov. 21, iconic New York bagel shop Ess-a-Bagel will reside on the Empire State Building’s 86 th floor observation deck every day from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Observatory guests can purchase signature New York City bagel sandwiches, festive schmears, fall baked goods, and snacks as they take in the breathtaking 360-degree views of New York City.

Streets to Skies

The Empire State Building invites its city’s 2025 TCS Marathon runners to take a victory lap at the world-famous Observatory. From Oct. 30 through Nov. 3, marathon participants are offered an exclusive 15% off ticket to take in the best views from the world-famous 86 th floor Observatory and panoramic 102 nd floor Observatory. Tickets will be validated on-site with a race email or participation medal. Tickets can be purchased here.

Festive Photos

Now through Nov. 6, the Empire State Building’s world-famous 86 th Floor Observatory will be adorned with a fall, apple orchard-inspired photo opportunity on the deck’s Southwest corner. The display features clusters of apples that hang from boughs and wooden crates full of fall-favorite fruit.

Spirit-Filled Lightings

The Empire State Building’s iconic tower lights will shine in a festive orange and green to resemble a giant pumpkin on Halloween night from dusk to dawn. The building will also debut its first-ever spooky Halloween hourly chime that will feature flashes, fades, sparkles, and strobes which will take place for five minutes at the top of each hour.

Text CONNECT to 274-16 to receive real-time information about each Empire State Building tower lighting.

The Empire State Building’s world-famous Observatory Experience underwent a $165 million reimagination that added a brand-new ticket center, interactive museum with nine galleries, bespoke host uniforms, and a new 102 nd Floor Observatory with unmatched views from the heart of New York City.

Hi-res imagery can be downloaded here.

More information about the Empire State Building can be found online.

About the Empire State Building

The Empire State Building, the “World's Most Famous Building," owned by Empire State Realty Trust, Inc. (ESRT: NYSE), soars 1,454 feet above Midtown Manhattan from base to antenna. The $165 million reimagination of the Empire State Building Observatory Experience created an all-new experience with a dedicated guest entrance, an interactive museum with nine galleries, and a redesigned 102 nd Floor Observatory with floor-to-ceiling windows. The journey to the world-famous 86 th Floor Observatory, the only 360-degree, open-air observatory with views of New York and beyond, orients visitors for their entire New York City experience and covers everything from the building's iconic history to its current place in pop culture. The Empire State Building Observatory Experience welcomes millions of visitors each year and is ranked the #1 Top Attraction in New York City for the fourth consecutive year in Tripadvisor’s 2025 Travelers’ Choice Awards: Best of the Best Things to Do, "America's Favorite Building" by the American Institute of Architects, the world's most popular travel destination by Uber, and the #1 New York City attraction in Lonely Planet’s Ultimate Travel List.

Since 2011, the building has been fully powered by renewable wind electricity, and its many floors house a diverse array of office tenants such as LinkedIn and Shutterstock, as well as retail options like STATE Grill and Bar, Tacombi, and Starbucks. For more information and Observatory Experience tickets visit esbnyc.com or follow the building's Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, Weibo, YouTube, or TikTok.

Source: Empire State Realty Trust, Inc.
Category: Observatory

The Empire State Building Ushers in Autumn with an Iconic NYC Pop-Up, Festive Photo Corner, Special Tower Lighting, Exclusive Ticket Offer, and Visit from Halloween Queen Heidi Klum

CONCORD, N.C. (AP) — Kyle Busch died after severe pneumonia progressed into sepsis, resulting in rapid and overwhelming associated complications, according to a statement released by his family.

Dakota Hunter, vice president of Kyle Busch Companies, said in a news release the family received the medical evaluation on Saturday.

Busch, a two-time NASCAR champion, died at 41 on Thursday, a day after passing out in a Chevrolet simulator.

Sepsis is considered a life-threatening medical emergency that occurs when the body has an extreme, overactive response to an infection, causing the immune system to damage its own tissues and organs, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Typically the immune system releases chemicals to fight off pathogens like bacteria, viruses or fungi, but with sepsis the response goes into overdrive. The results can cause widespread inflammation, form microscopic blood clots and make blood vessels leak.

Busch was thought to have had a sinus cold while racing at Watkins Glen on May 10 and radioed in to his team saying that he needed a “shot” from a doctor after the race.

However, he bounced back to win the Trucks Series race at Dover last weekend, and then he finished 17th in the All-Star race on Sunday.

Busch, who was preparing to race Sunday at the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, was testing in the Chevrolet racing simulator in Concord on Wednesday when he became unresponsive and was transported to a hospital in Charlotte, several people familiar with the situation told The Associated Press.

During the emergency call placed late that afternoon, an unidentified caller calmly told the dispatch: “I’ve got an individual that’s (got) shortness of breath, very hot, thinks he’s going to pass out, and is producing a little bit of blood, coughing up some blood.”

The caller said Busch was lying on the bathroom floor inside the complex and told dispatch “he is awake,” according to audio provided by the Cabarrus County Sheriff’s Office. The man then gave directions on where emergency responders should go and asked that they turn off any sirens upon arrival.

NASCAR driver Brad Keselowski said he knew Busch wasn’t feeling well recently.

“Yes, but I won’t go into any specifics," Keselowski said. “But then when he ran the Truck race last week, those (thoughts) were honestly kind of erased in my mind.”

Keselowski said running multiple races on the same weekend can be difficult on a driver's health — but most don't want to miss a race for fear of being replaced.

“There’s no shortage of drivers that would love to take my seat or anybody else’s seat if we weren’t feeling well, and I think every driver feels that pressure,” Keselowski said. “All athletes do. It’s not unique to NASCAR in that sense. We’re all thinking to ourselves, ‘I don’t wanna be replaced.’ ... So you try to power through it the best you can."

Busch won 234 races across NASCAR’s top three series over his two-decade career, more than any driver in history.

All 39 drivers in the field for Sunday’s race will race with a black No. 8 decal on their car to honor Busch.

AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing

An in memoriam photo of former driver Kyle Busch is displayed on the video board of the backstretch at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Friday, May 22, 2026, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Matt Kelley)

FILE - Kyle Busch waits for the start of a NASCAR Xfinity Series auto race Saturday, June 19, 2021, in Lebanon, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey, File)