NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov 12, 2026--
The Empire State Building (ESB) is the gateway to Mount Olympus in Percy Jackson’s world, and now fans can experience the magic like never before. On Nov. 16, the Empire State Building Observation Deck (ESBOD) will unveil “Olympus Awaits,” a multi-level “Percy Jackson and the Olympians” takeover, in partnership with Disney+. The immersive takeover – included with every Observation Deck ticket – will feature an epic Throne Room, interactive photo opportunities, surprise giveaways, ESB x “Percy Jackson” merch, and more, available through Dec. 4, 2026.*
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20261112442266/en/
“This immersive NYC experience brings Percy Jackson’s adventures off the screen and into the ‘World’s Most Famous Building,’ where guests can step into the Throne Room, discover their favorite details from the series, and create their own unforgettable moments at Tripadvisor’s #1 Top Attraction in the U.S.,” said Andy Giancamilli, president of the Empire State Building Observation Deck.
The “Olympus Awaits” experience in NYC invites guests to follow a path from the mortal world to the realm of the gods, with themed elements which include:
On Nov. 20 from sunset to 10 p.m., the celebration will extend to the New York City skyline with “The Glow from Olympus,” a special exterior lighting display that will transform the “World’s Most Famous Building” into a radiant beacon inspired by the legendary home of the gods. After the display, the Empire State Building lights will shine blue until 2 a.m. “Percy Jackson and the Olympians” star Walker Scobell visited the Empire State Building to flip the switch in a lighting ceremony to kick off the takeover and celebrate the Season 3 premiere.
The Empire State Building Observation Deck is open every day, including holidays. Hours for each visit date are available at www.esbnyc.com/visit/hours-of-operation. The Empire State Building Observation Deck ticket office is located at 12 W. 34 th Street.
* “Olympus Awaits” will be closed to the public on Nov. 17 and 18.
Hi-res imagery and video can be found here.
Learn more about the Empire State Building Observation Deck at esbnyc.com.
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 Observation Deck Experience created an all-new experience with a dedicated guest entrance, an interactive museum with nine galleries, and a redesigned 102nd Floor Observation Deck with floor-to-ceiling windows. The journey to the world-famous 86th Floor Observation Deck, the highest 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 Observation Deck Experience welcomes millions of visitors each year and is ranked the #1 Top Attraction in the United States in Tripadvisor's 2026 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, Ghirardelli, and Starbucks. For more information and Empire State Building Observation Deck Experience tickets visit esbnyc.com or follow the building's Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, Weibo, YouTube, or TikTok.
Category: Observatory
Empire State Building Observation Deck to Debut ‘Olympus Awaits,’ An Immersive ‘Percy Jackson and the Olympians’ Takeover in the Heart of NYC, On Display from Nov. 16 – Dec. 4*
Empire State Building Observation Deck to Debut ‘Olympus Awaits,’ An Immersive ‘Percy Jackson and the Olympians’ Takeover in the Heart of NYC, On Display from Nov. 16 – Dec. 4*
HUNTSVILLE, Texas (AP) — A Texas man convicted of fatally stabbing and beheading three young children in a squalid, windowless apartment in 2003 was executed Thursday evening, hours after Oklahoma put another man to death.
John Allen Rubio, 46, was pronounced dead at 6:47 p.m. after a lethal injection at the state prison in Huntsville. The killings of the baby girl and two toddlers so rocked the city of Brownsville on the U.S. border with Mexico that the apartment building was later demolished and the land turned into a park and community garden.
After a spiritual adviser prayed over him briefly, Rubio thanked friends and family for their “love and understanding” and said he was “not the same person I once was.” He thanked prison staff for teaching him how to find God and also expressed love for his common-law wife, Angela Camacho, who is serving life in prison for her role in the slayings.
“I want to say I’m sorry to my wife’s family,” he said. “I can’t change the past but I can tell you my life is going to be over. But that’s not going to make you happy."
“I’m going to be with my kids in a little bit,” he added. “I’m ready to go to heaven to be with my lord and savior.”
As the lethal dose of the sedative pentobarbital began taking effect, Rubio took three breaths and began what sounded like snoring. All movement ceased afterward, and a physician pronounced him dead 21 minutes after the injection began.
Earlier Thursday, James Pavatt, 73, received a lethal injection at an Oklahoma prison for the fatal shooting of his girlfriend’s estranged husband in 2001. The victim was killed as he arrived to pick up his two young children before Thanksgiving.
Thursday’s executions were the 36th and 37th this year, with the U.S. on track to surpass 40 executions for a second consecutive year — a pace driven by Florida.
The death penalty has drawn renewed attention since the failed execution of Christa Pike in Tennessee in September. And last week, California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced he would commute hundreds of death sentences before leaving office in January — what experts say would be the largest mass clemency in American history.
Rubio and Camacho were accused of killing 3-year-old Julissa Quesada, 14-month-old John E. Rubio and 2-month-old Mary Jane Rubio in the apartment they shared in Brownsville. Camacho drew a life sentence after pleading guilty.
An appeals court overturned Rubio’s first capital murder conviction, ruling Camacho's statements were improperly admitted as evidence in his trial. At his second trial, Rubio again pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity but again was convicted and sentenced to death.
According to court records, Rubio wasn’t the biological father of the two older children but treated them as his own.
At various points, Rubio claimed the children were possessed and that he was the “chosen one” intended to save the world.
Defense experts diagnosed him with paranoid schizophrenia, a finding prosecution experts rejected. The defense experts also testified his childhood — marked by violence at home, “toxic” parents, drug use and prostitution — damaged him developmentally.
When the Oklahoma inmate Pavatt was asked if he had any last words before his execution, he shook his head no. As a chaplain read from the Bible, Pavatt appeared to mouth some words that couldn't be heard.
Pavatt was convicted of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder in the killing of Rob Andrew, a 39-year-old advertising executive. Pavatt attended the same church as the Andrew family and had been having an affair with Rob Andrew’s wife, Brenda Andrew. She was convicted at a separate trial and is the only woman currently on Oklahoma's death row.
Weeks before the shooting, Rob Andrew told police someone was trying to kill him after the brake lines on his car were cut. Brenda Andrew told police after her husband was killed that masked intruders shot her in the arm and fatally shot him.
Pavatt and Brenda Andrew fled to Mexico with her two children after the shooting and were arrested three months later while reentering the U.S.
Also Thursday, former Oklahoma death row inmate Richard Glossip pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of being an accessory in a 1997 murder and awaits sentencing in December. Glossip, who had been on the brink of execution three times, was released on bond in May after nearly 30 years in prison. He had been awaiting a retrial after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned his conviction.
Stengle reported from McAlester, Oklahoma.
This photo provided by the Oklahoma Department of Corrections shows James Pavatt in Feb. 2023. (Oklahoma Department of Corrections via AP)
This photo provided by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice shows John Allen Rubio on Oct. 31, 2022. (Texas Department of Criminal Justice via AP).
