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.
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“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
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — An ailing astronaut returned to Earth with three others on Thursday, ending their space station mission more than a month early in NASA’s first medical evacuation.
SpaceX guided the capsule to a middle-of-the-night splashdown in the Pacific near San Diego, less than 11 hours after the astronauts exited the International Space Station.
“It’s so good to be home,” said NASA astronaut Zena Cardman, the capsule commander.
It was an unexpected finish to a mission that began in August and left the orbiting lab with only one American and two Russians on board. NASA and SpaceX said they would try to move up the launch of a fresh crew of four; liftoff is currently targeted for mid-February.
Cardman and NASA’s Mike Fincke were joined on the return by Japan’s Kimiya Yui and Russia’s Oleg Platonov. Officials have refused to identify the astronaut who had the health problem or explain what happened, citing medical privacy.
While the astronaut was stable in orbit, NASA wanted them back on Earth as soon as possible to receive proper care and diagnostic testing. The entry and splashdown required no special changes or accommodations, officials said, and the recovery ship had its usual allotment of medical experts on board. It was not immediately known when the astronauts would fly from California to their home base in Houston. Platonov’s return to Moscow was also unclear.
NASA stressed repeatedly over the past week that this was not an emergency. The astronaut fell sick or was injured on Jan. 7, prompting NASA to call off the next day’s spacewalk by Cardman and Fincke, and ultimately resulting in the early return. It was the first time NASA cut short a spaceflight for medical reasons. The Russians had done so decades ago.
The space station has gotten by with three astronauts before, sometimes even with just two. NASA said it will be unable to perform a spacewalk, even for an emergency, until the arrival of the next crew, which has two Americans, one French and one Russian astronaut.
The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov is helped out of the SpaceX Dragon Endeavour spacecraft onboard the SpaceX recovery ship SHANNON after they re-entered the earth in a middle-of-the-night splashdown near San Diego, Calif., Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. (NASA via AP)
JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Kimiya Yui is helped out of the SpaceX Crew-11 capsule after they re-entered the earth in a middle-of-the-night splashdown near San Diego, Calif., Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. (NASA via AP)
NASA astronaut Mike Fincke is helped out of the SpaceX Crew-11 capsule after they re-entered the earth in a middle-of-the-night splashdown near San Diego, Calif., Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. (NASA via AP)
NASA astronaut Zena Cardman is helped out of the SpaceX Crew-11 capsule after they re-entered the earth in a middle-of-the-night splashdown near San Diego, Calif., Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. (NASA via AP)
This screengrab from video provided by NASA shows the NASA's SpaceX Crew-11 capsule being taken into the recovery vessel after crew members re entered the earth in a middle-of-the-night splashdown near San Diego, Calif., Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. (NASA via AP)
This screengrab from video provided by NASA shows NASA astronaut Mike Fincke getting helped out of the SpaceX Crew-11 capsule after they re-entered the earth in a middle-of-the-night splashdown near San Diego, Calif., Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. (NASA via AP)
This screengrab from video provided by NASA shows NASA Japanese astronaut Kimiya Yui being helped out of the SpaceX Crew-11 capsule after they re-entered the earth in a middle-of-the-night splashdown near San Diego, Calif., Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. (NASA via AP)
This screengrab from video provided by NASA shows Russian astronaut Oleg Platonov being helped out of the SpaceX Crew-11 capsule after they re-entered the earth in a middle-of-the-night splashdown near San Diego, Calif., Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. (NASA via AP)
Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov, left, NASA astronauts Mike Fincke, Zena Cardman, and JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Kimiya Yui are seen inside the SpaceX Dragon Endeavour spacecraft onboard the SpaceX recovery ship SHANNON shortly after having landed in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Long Beach, Calif., Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. (NASA via AP)
This screengrab from video provided by NASA shows NASA astronaut Zena Cardman being helped out of the SpaceX Crew-11 capsule after they re-entered the earth in a middle-of-the-night splashdown near San Diego, Calif., Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. (NASA via AP)
This screengrab from video provided by NASA TV shows the SpaceX Dragon departing from the International Space Station shortly after undocking with four NASA Crew-11 members inside on Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026. (NASA via AP)
This photo provided by NASA shows clockwise from bottom left are, NASA astronaut Mike Fincke, Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov, NASA astronaut Zena Cardman, and JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Kimiya Yui gathering for a crew portrait wearing their Dragon pressure suits during a suit verification check inside the International Space Station’s Kibo laboratory module, Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026. (NASA via AP)
This screengrab from video provided by NASA shows recovery vessels approaching the NASA's SpaceX Crew-11 capsule to evacuate one of the crew members after they re-entered the earth in a middle-of-the-night splashdown near San Diego, Calif., Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. (NASA via AP)
This screengrab from video provided by NASA shows the NASA's SpaceX Crew-11 members re entering the earth in a middle-of-the-night splashdown near San Diego, Calif., Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. (NASA via AP)
This screengrab from video provided by NASA shows the NASA's SpaceX Crew-11 members re entering the earth in a middle-of-the-night splashdown near San Diego, Calif., Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. (NASA via AP)
