Going up: New York’s Empire State Building observatory to reopen on July 20

The Empire State Building’s observatory is reopening on July 20, but at a sharply reduced capacity to protect visitors from the coronavirus.

Visitors will be required to undergo a temperature screening and will not be admitted if it exceeds 100.4°F. They will also be required to wear face masks throughout the visit.

The observatory will be open initially from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. and allow 500 visitors at a time, or about 20% of its usual capacity. The reduced capacity allows a spacing of 18 feet between groups.

Visitors will need to purchase timed tickets in advance. Prices for the 86th-floor observatory only start at $44 for adults, $36 for children and $40 for seniors. Tickets for  both the 86th and 102nd floors are $72 for adults, $66 for children and $70 for seniors.

Certain interactive exhibits, including those with binoculars, will remain closed.

“We have taken measures with signage, distancing markers, hand sanitizers, and cleaning; beyond anything any retailer or public space we have surveyed,” said Jean-Yves Ghazi, the observatory’s president, in a statement.

Empire State Realty Trust, which operates the observatory, gave it a $165 million makeover that was completed in December. A separate entrance for observatory visitors and a new air filtration system were among the changes.

The 70,000-square-foot observatory, on the 86th and 102nd floors, has been closed since March.

Go inside: See the Empire State Building’s renovated 102nd floor observatory

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