Recreate famous NYC photo on The Beam at 30 Rock
The Beam at 30 Rock provides a sweeping view of New York City from 850 feet in the air above Rockerfeller Center and the chance to recreate the iconic “Lunch Atop a Skyscraper” photo.
The Beam at 30 Rock recreates a famous photograph you may recognize. The photo, titled “Lunch Atop a Skyscraper,” shows construction workers in 1932 enjoying a meal together while sitting on a steel beam, high above the in-progress 30 Rock.
Ride “The Beam” at 30 Rock
The new photo-op opened Dec. 1, 2023, as part of an observation deck experience known as Top of the Rock.
Guests (with seatbelts) sit on a horizontal beam attached to a vertical pole-like structure. The pole slowly ascends 12 feet, rotates 180 degrees, and positions riders for a professional photo, 69 stories above New York City.
Take a look at The Beam in action here.
The 11 men in the original photo were among the 40,000 workers who built 30 Rockefeller Plaza (at the time known as the RCA building), now a legendary NYC staple. The New York Herald-Tribune first published the photograph in 1932, according to The Center Magazine, an official Rockefeller Center resource. The image was a publicity photo.
Planning Your Visit to The Beam
When buying tickets for Top of the Rock online, prospective guests can purchase a ride on The Beam for $25 as an add-on experience during checkout. The Beam is not included in General Admission or Express Pass ticket options.
Top of the Rock’s General Admission ($34-40) offers scheduled entry to the observation decks. The Express Pass ($85) grants flexibility of arriving at any time. In both cases, guests may explore at their leisure and stay for any length of time.
Alternatively, access to The Beam is included for Top of the Rock guests with a VIP Pass or VIP Rock Pass.
The VIP Pass ($160) includes a guided tour of Top of the Rock, photos, and a “ride” on The Beam. The VIP Rock Pass ($250) bundles all of those amenities with a guided tour of Rockefeller Center overall, not just Top of the Rock.
If weather causes visibility issues, guests can reschedule their appointment.
More Attractions at 30 Rock
During the holiday season, visitors to Rockefeller Center can gaze upon the iconic Christmas tree and partake in ice-skating. Guests can also download a free, self-guided audio tour of the building.
30 Rock is home to major NBC talk shows. The Tour at NBC Studios gives visitors a backstage peek at “the birthplace of broadcast television.” The experience just reopened last month after closing at the onset of the pandemic.
Fans can also reserve tickets to be in the studio audience for “Saturday Night Live,” “The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon,” “The Kelly Clarkson Show,” or “Late Night with Seth Meyers,” all of which film inside 30 Rock. Some of those require a bit more strategy than others (NBC offers a quick primer here). “The Today Show” also broadcasts nearby and offers audience participation.
Soon we’ll be sharing our firsthand report of scoring “SNL” tickets, with tips on how to see the show, right here on AttractionsMagazine.com.
Planning a trip to the big apple? Check out this map of popular attractions:
