Empire State Building vs Chrysler Building is a comparison people search constantly, but it is not really a fair fight once you know one fact: the Chrysler Building has never had a public observation deck. You cannot buy a ticket to go up inside it, which settles most of the practical side of this question before we even get to style or history.
Here is what I would actually do with that fact: stop treating this as a head to head and start treating it as two different questions. One is “which skyscraper can I actually visit”, and the other is “which one do I think looks better from outside”. If you still need a ticket for a real observation deck, check today’s Top of the Rock prices before you plan the rest of your Midtown day, since that is the deck most readers end up booking once they realize the Chrysler Building is not an option.
Can You Go Up Inside the Chrysler Building?
No. The Chrysler Building’s lobby is open to the public during business hours and is worth a quick look for its Art Deco ceiling mural and marble, but the building has never operated a public viewing floor the way the Empire State Building, Top of the Rock or One World Observatory do. Its upper floors are private office space.
My honest take is that this trips up a surprising number of travelers who assume every famous New York skyscraper has a deck. It does not, and the Chrysler Building is the clearest example of that on this entire site.
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What Makes the Chrysler Building Worth Seeing Anyway?
It is one of the purest Art Deco towers in the world, finished in 1930 with a stainless steel crown of radiating arches that still catches light differently than anything else on the Midtown skyline. Architects and photographers rate it among the most beautiful buildings in the city, deck or no deck.
I would still make a point of seeing it, just from the outside and, ideally, from a height that puts its crown in the frame rather than looking up at it from street level, which flattens the whole design. That is exactly where an actual observation deck earns its ticket price.
How Does the Empire State Building Compare to Top of the Rock?
Since the Chrysler Building is out of the running as a ticket, the real decision is between the two Midtown decks that can actually get you up high: the Empire State Building, where you stand on the landmark itself, and Top of the Rock, where the skyline, including the Empire State Building, sits in your photo. My full Top of the Rock vs Empire State Building comparison walks through that decision in detail.
My honest opinion is that Top of the Rock has the edge specifically for this question, because its terraces face toward the Chrysler Building’s crown at a flattering angle alongside the rest of the East Side skyline, while the Empire State Building’s own deck looks down on it from a position that is almost too close to frame well.
What About the Empire State Building vs CN Tower?
This comparison comes up in search for a different reason: travelers weighing a New York trip against a Toronto one, or simply curious how the two famous towers stack up. The CN Tower is far taller overall and includes a glass floor experience that neither New York deck offers, but it sits in a different city entirely, so it is not a same-trip decision the way Empire State Building vs Chrysler Building is.
I would not spend much time on this comparison unless you are actually choosing between two separate trips. For a single New York visit, the relevant decision stays local: Empire State Building, Top of the Rock, or both.
Where’s the Best Spot to Photograph the Chrysler Building?
From an elevated vantage point east of it, which is exactly what Top of the Rock’s terraces give you, since Rockefeller Center sits close enough to put the Chrysler Building’s spire clearly in frame without the extreme foreshortening you get from street level. The Empire State Building sits a bit further south and at a steeper angle down onto it.
My honest recommendation, if a clean shot of the Chrysler Building’s crown is actually your goal, is to book Top of the Rock specifically for that reason, not just as a general Midtown deck. See Top of the Rock’s ticket prices and time slots before you pick a slot, since sunset is when the steel crown lights up most dramatically.
Which Deck Should You Book If You Want the Chrysler Building in Your Shot?
Between the two real options, I would book Top of the Rock over the Empire State Building for this specific goal. Standing on the Empire State Building means the Chrysler Building is one of many buildings below you rather than a featured subject, while Top of the Rock’s open terraces let you compose a shot with it as a clear focal point against the rest of the East Side.
I would not call this a universal rule for every visitor, only for the specific reader who came here wanting the Chrysler Building itself in the photo rather than just a generic skyline shot.
Is the Empire State Building Worth It If the Chrysler Building Is What You Really Want to See?
Yes, and I say that honestly even though it is not the deck I would lead with for this exact goal. The Empire State Building gives you a genuinely commanding 360 degree view that includes the Chrysler Building along with everything else, and standing on one icon while looking toward another is still a strong experience even if the angle is steeper than I would prefer for a dedicated photo.
My honest advice is to pick the Empire State Building if height and standing on the more famous of the two landmarks matters more to you than the specific framing of the Chrysler Building’s crown.
How Does This Fit Into the Bigger NYC Deck Decision?
I would settle the Chrysler Building question quickly, since there is really only one answer, and spend the rest of your planning time on the deck comparison that actually has two sides to it.
My Recommendation
I would stop trying to pick between the Empire State Building and the Chrysler Building as if they were equivalent options, since only one of them sells a ticket. For the photo you actually want of the Chrysler Building’s crown, I would book Top of the Rock first. If standing on the more famous landmark matters more to you personally, the Empire State Building is the right call instead. Either way, the Chrysler Building itself is a lobby and a skyline photo, not a ticketed stop, and that is worth knowing before you build your itinerary around it.
Frequently asked questions
Can you visit the top of the Chrysler Building?
No. The Chrysler Building has no public observation deck. Its lobby is open during business hours, but the upper floors are private office space with no visitor access.
Is the Empire State Building better than the Chrysler Building?
They are not really comparable, since the Empire State Building has a public deck and the Chrysler Building does not. For a view, the Empire State Building or Top of the Rock are the real choices.
Where can I see the Chrysler Building’s crown up close in photos?
An elevated deck east of it, such as Top of the Rock’s terraces, gives a flattering angle on the steel crown. Street level photos tend to flatten the design.
Is the Chrysler Building worth visiting at all?
Yes, for its Art Deco lobby and as a photo subject from a nearby deck, even though you cannot go up inside it.
