A New Perspective,
One Ascent Away

In a city defined by its verticality, it is easy to think you have seen it all, but true transformation often comes from changing your vantage point.

The Ascent elevator in NYC completes the experience, carrying you upward through the final moment of the journey and opening up sweeping, unparalleled views of New York that shift not just what you see, but how you feel about the city.

From Grand Central To The Clouds

Your journey begins far below the skyline, within the historic halls of Grand Central Terminal. Here, you leave the frantic pace of 42nd Street behind and enter a realm shaped by intentional design and multisensory storytelling. The transition starts in Rise, a sensory-resetting elevator that lifts you up to the 91st floor. It’s a deliberate palate cleanser, using light and sound to prepare your mind for the fully immersive, artistic environment above.

As the doors open, you step into the Hall of Light, a transitional space that gradually prepares you for what’s ahead, setting the tone before the full experience unfolds.

From there, you move into Transcendence, a beautifully designed environment of mirrors and architectural grids that reflect and amplify the city around you. Far from structureless, the space is carefully composed, creating a shifting interplay of form, reflection, and perspective where the skyline becomes both subject and participant.

Together, these environments form a multisensory, design-forward immersion that reimagines your relationship with New York, offering one of the most distinctive ways to experience the city through a completely new lens.

The Emotional Arc Of Your Visit

As you move through the levels of SUMMIT, the experience shifts from introspection to playfulness. In Affinity, you are surrounded by floating silver orbs that respond to your touch, creating a sense of connection and shared human experience. It is a physical manifestation of interconnectedness, where you see your reflection alongside others, reminding you of the commonalities that bind us together even in a city of millions.

The experience continues in Levitation, where all-glass skyboxes extend 1,100 feet (335.28m) over Madison Avenue, offering a striking moment to step directly above the city. Looking through the transparent floor at the streets below creates a clear, memorable shift in perspective as Midtown unfolds beneath you.

From here, the journey continues through Unity and onward to the 93rd floor, where guests can pause at Après and the terrace before making their way to the Ascent elevator. Along the way, views open up across the city, including glimpses toward Bryant Park and Central Park, offering a dynamic sense of New York that changes with every direction you look.

The Transformational Peak Of Ascent

After the immersive art and the experience of the skyboxes, you arrive at the terrace on the 93rd floor, where you can pause and take in the open-air views before continuing to Ascent, the tallest all-glass exterior elevator in NYC. From here, guests board the tallest all-glass exterior elevator in NYC and the largest of its kind in the world.

Stepping into Ascent is a metaphor for breaking through boundaries. While the skyboxes of Levitation let you hover over the city, Ascent physically elevates you beyond what you previously thought was the limit of the experience. As the elevator rises along the building’s facade, the city literally and emotionally shifts beneath your feet. You are no longer just looking at a NYC skyline view. Rather, you are suspended far above it, experiencing a scale that is both humbling and empowering within a fully immersive, design-driven perspective of the skyline.

Why Height Changes The Way You See Everything

From this vantage point, New York reveals itself in layers. Not just as something to look at, but something to experience.

At SUMMIT, the view is shaped by a series of carefully designed moments that change how you engage with it, from reflective surfaces to open-air spaces and glass vantage points that place you within the skyline itself. Rather than simply observing the city, you move through it in a way that continually shifts your perspective.

Insider Tips To Help Prepare For Your Ascent

To ensure your transition from the ground to the clouds is seamless, keep these practical tips in mind:

Dress with Purpose: Because of the extensive use of mirrors and reflective floors throughout the experience, we recommend wearing pants, shorts, or tights.
Eye Protection: The reflective materials can create a bright environment, especially during high-sunlight hours. Bringing sunglasses will help you comfortably enjoy the views.
Footwear Matters: To protect the unique mirrored surfaces, please wear comfortable, non-marking shoes. Stiletto heels and work boots are not permitted.

Are you ready to see the city and yourself from a new height? Complete your SUMMIT journey and experience the transformation that is only one Ascent away.

Buy tickets today.