# Observation deck

An observation deck, observation platform, or viewing platform is an elevated sightseeing platform usually situated upon a tall architectural structure, such as a skyscraper or observation tower. Observation decks are sometimes enclosed from weather, and a few may include coin-operated telescopes for viewing distant features.

## List of public observation decks

List of public observation decks :
| Rank | Name | Completion Date | Type | City | Deck height (m) | Total height (m) | Notes |
| 1 | Burj Khalifa | 2010 | Skyscraper | Dubai | 585 | 829.8 | Floors 152-154 (opened 2019). Additional decks on floor 148 (555m, opened 2014) and 124-125 (452m), both respectively the world's highest observation deck at their opening. |
| 2 | Shanghai Tower | 2015 | Skyscraper | Shanghai | 562 | 632 | 121st floor; decks are also on 118th and 119th floors. |
| 3 | Ping An Finance Centre | 2017 | Skyscraper | Shenzhen | 562 | 599.1 | 115th floor (opened on February 10, 2018). |
| 4 | Merdeka 118 | 2022 | Skyscraper | Kuala Lumpur | 510 | 678.9 | |
| 5 | Canton Tower | 2010 | Steel tower | Guangzhou | 488 | 604 | |
| 6 | Lotte World Tower | 2017 | Skyscraper | Seoul | 486 | 555 | |
| 6 | Abraj Al Bait | 2011 | Skyscraper | Mecca | 486 | 601 | |
| 8 | Shanghai World Financial Center | 2008 | Skyscraper | Shanghai | 474 | 492.3 | 100th floor, decks also on levels 94 & 97. |
| 9 | Tokyo Skytree | 2012 | Steel tower | Tokyo | 451.2 | 634 | Three additional observation decks at 340m, 345m, and 350m. |
| 10 | Taipei 101 | 2004 | Skyscraper | Taipei | 449.2 | 508.2 | The 101st floor indoor/outdoor rooftop observation deck opened to the public on June 14, 2019. Two additional observation decks, outdoor on the 91st-floor and indoor on the 89th floor at 383.2 metres (1,257 ft).. |
| 11 | CN Tower | 1976 | Concrete tower | Toronto | 446.7 | 553.3 | Two additional observation decks at 342 m (outdoor) & 346 m (indoor). |
| 12 | Willis Tower | 1974 | Skyscraper | Chicago | 412.7 | 527.3 | 103rd floor; it is the highest observation deck (skydeck) and highest skywalk (skydeck glass balconies) in the United States |
| 13 | Sky100, International Commerce Centre | 2011 | Skyscraper | Hong Kong | 393 | 484 | 100th floor; 360-degree indoor observation deck. |
| 14 | One World Trade Center | 2014 | Skyscraper | New York City | 386.6 | 541.3 | Observation deck on the 100th, 101st and 102nd floors. |
| 15 | Landmark 81 | 2019 | Skyscraper | Ho Chi Minh City | 382 | 461 | Observation decks on 79th, 80th and 81st floors. |
| 16 | Petronas Towers | 1998 | Skyscraper | Kuala Lumpur | 370 | 451.9 | Observation deck on 86th floor of tower 2; in addition there is the skybridge between the two towers on 41st and 42nd floors at 170 m. |
| 17 | Empire State Building | 1931 | Skyscraper | New York City | 369 | 448.7 | 102nd floor; additional 86th floor deck (320 m). |
| 18 | Iconic Tower | 2023 | Skyscraper | New Administrative Capital | 360 | 394 | Observations on 74th, 75th and 76th floors. |
| 19 | Lakhta Center | 2021 | Skyscraper | Saint Petersburg | 357 | 462 | Observations on 84th, 85th 86th and 87th floors. |
| 20 | Oriental Pearl Tower | 1994 | Concrete tower | Shanghai | 351 | 467.9 | 15 observation levels, the highest one being outdoors |
| 21 | The Strat | 1996 | Concrete Tower | Paradise | 350 | 350.2 | Tallest observation tower in the U.S. |
| 22 | Tuntex Sky Tower | 1997 | Skyscraper | Kaohsiung | 341 | 347.5 | 74th floor. |
| 23 | Jin Mao Tower | 1998 | Skyscraper | Shanghai | 340.1 | 420.5 | 88th floor. |
| 24 | 30 Hudson Yards | 2020 | Skyscraper | New York City | 340 | 387 | Observation decks on 100th and 101st floors. |
| 24 | Ostankino Tower | 1967 | Concrete tower | Moscow | 340 | 540.1 | Indoor deck is at 337 m. |
| 26 | John Hancock Center | 1969 | Skyscraper | Chicago | 313.8 | 343.5 | 94th floor. |
| 27 | Milad Tower | 2007 | Concrete tower | Tehran | 312 | 435 | Top level. |
| 28 | China World Trade Center Tower III | 2010 | Skyscraper | Beijing | 311.8 | 330 | 81st floor. |
| 29 | One Vanderbilt | 2021 | Skyscraper | New York City | 310 | 427 | Observations on 62nd and 63rd floors. |
| 29 | Ciel Tower | 2024 | Skyscraper | Dubai | 310 | 366 | Observation deck on 81nd, 82rd floors, 76th floor (290 m) and 60th floor (248 m). |
| 31 | Shun Hing Square | 1996 | Skyscraper | Shenzhen | 298.1 | 384 | |
| 32 | US Bank Tower | 1989 | Skyscraper | Los Angeles | 297 | 310 | 69th (indoor and outdoor observation) and 70th floors (skyslide and events) CLOSED. |
| 33 | Kingdom Centre | 2002 | Skyscraper | Riyadh | 290 | 302 | 41st floor. |
| 34 | Abeno Harukas | 2014 | Skyscraper | Osaka | 288 | 300 | 58th–60th floor (top floor). |
| 35 | Zifeng Tower | 2010 | Skyscraper | Nanjing | 287 | 450 | |
| 36 | Eureka Tower | 2007 | Skyscraper | Melbourne | 285 | 297.3 | Skydeck 88 is at a height of 285 m. |
| 37 | King Power MahaNakhon | 2018 | Skyscraper | Bangkok | 281.6 | 314 | Observation deck on 74th, 76th, and 78th floors. |
| 37 | Etihad Towers (Tower 2) | 2011 | Skyscraper | Abu Dhabi | 281.6 | 305.3 | Observation deck at 300 is located on 75th floor. |
| 39 | Eiffel Tower | 1889 | Wrought iron lattice tower | Paris | 276.1 | 330 | 3rd floor. |
| 40 | Menara Kuala Lumpur | 1996 | Concrete tower | Kuala Lumpur | 276 | 421 | |
| 41 | Columbia Center | 1985 | Skyscraper | Seattle | 275 | 284 | 73rd floor. |
| 42 | Yokohama Landmark | 1993 | Skyscraper | Yokohama | 273 | 296 | 69th floor. |
| 43 | One Liberty Place | 1987 | Skyscraper | Philadelphia | 269 | 288 | 57th floor. |
| 44 | Bank of America Plaza (Dallas) | 1985 | Skyscraper | Dallas | 268.4 | 281 | 71st floor; additional on 70th floor at 264.6 metres (868 ft). |
| 45 | JPMorgan Chase Tower | 1982 | Skyscraper | Houston | 268.2 | 305.4 | 60th floor. |
| 46 | Sydney Tower | 1981 | Steel Tower | Sydney | 268 | 309 | Main indoor observation deck; outdoor skywalk attraction on roof is located at 279 meters. |
| 47 | Gran Torre Santiago | 2013 | Skyscraper | Santiago | 261 | 300 | Observation deck named Sky Costanera is located on floors 61 and 62. |
| 48 | GE Building | 1933 | Skyscraper | New York City | 259.1 | 259.1 | 70th floor ("Top of the Rock"). |
| 49 | Tianjin Tower | 1991 | Concrete tower | Tianjin | 257 | 415.2 | |
| 50 | 40 Wall Street | 1929 | Skyscraper | New York City | 255 | 283 | |
| 51 | 22 Bishopsgate | 2020 | Skyscraper | London | 254 | 278 | Tallest free observation deck in Europe on the 58th floor. |
| 52 | Osaka Prefectural Government Sakishima Building | 1995 | Skyscraper | Osaka | 252 | 256 | |
| 53 | Etihad Towers (Tower 1) | 2011 | Skyscraper | Abu Dhabi | 251.2 | 277.6 | |
| 54 | 63 Building | 1985 | Skyscraper | Seoul | 249 | 250 | 60th floor. |
| 55 | Midland Square | 2007 | Skyscraper | Nagoya | 247 | 247 | 47th floor. |
| 56 | Lotus Tower | 2019 | Concrete tower | Colombo | 245 | 356 | |
| 57 | The Shard | 2013 | Skyscraper | London | 244.8 | 306 | 72nd floor. |
| 58 | Central Radio & TV Tower | 1992 | Concrete tower | Beijing | 238 | 405 | |
| 59 | Sunshine 60 | 1978 | Skyscraper | Tokyo | 237.6 | 239.8 | |
| 60 | Federation Tower (Tower West) | 2008 | Skyscraper | Moscow | 235 | 252 | 62nd floor. |
| 61 | TK Elevator Test Tower | 2017 | Concrete tower | Rottweil | 232 | 246 | 30th floor (indoor and outdoor). |
| 62 | Q1 | 2005 | Skyscraper | Gold Coast | 230 | 323 | 77th floor (SkyPoint), with the function hall on the 78th. |
| 62 | West Pearl Tower | 2006 | Concrete tower | Chengdu | 230 | 339 | |
| 62 | Varso Tower | 2023 | Skyscraper | Warsaw | 230 | 310 | 50th and 53rd floor. |
| 65 | Roppongi Hills Mori Tower | 2003 | Skyscraper | Tokyo | 229.3 | 238 | 52nd floor (indoor) and 54th floor (roof-deck). |
| 66 | Taipei Nan Shan Plaza | 2018 | Skyscraper | Taipei | 228.5 | 272 | 46th floor (indoor). |
| 67 | Europaturm | 1979 | Concrete tower | Frankfurt | 227 | 337.5 | Since 1999, the Europaturm has been closed to the public. |
| 68 | Tokyo Tower | 1958 | Steel truss tower | Tokyo | 223.5 | 332.6 | 6th floor. |
| 69 | Macau Tower | 2001 | Concrete tower | Macau | 223 | 338 | |
| 70 | Sky Tower | 1997 | Concrete tower | Auckland | 220 | 328 | Skydeck observation deck on 60th floor. |
| 71 | Tour Montparnasse | 1972 | Skyscraper | Paris | 209 | 209 | |
| 72 | Fernsehturm Berlin | 1969 | Concrete tower | Berlin | 207 | 368 | |
| 73 | Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building | 1990 | Skyscraper | Tokyo | 202 | 243.4 | |
| 74 | Main Tower | 1999 | Skyscraper | Frankfurt | 200 | 240 | |
| 74 | Marina Bay Sands | 2010 | Skyscraper | Singapore | 200 | 200 | |
| 76 | Olympiaturm | 1968 | Concrete tower | Munich | 192 | 291 | |
| 77 | Mohammed VI Tower | 2023 | Skyscraper | Salé | 190 | 250 | Observation deck on 54th and 55th floor. |
| 78 | Vysotsky | 2011 | Skyscraper | Yekaterinburg | 186 | 188.3 | Observation deck was opened on 3 May 2012. |
| 79 | Bitexco Financial Tower | 2010 | Skyscraper | Ho Chi Minh City | 181 | 262.5 | 47th floor. |
| 80 | Tower of the Americas | 1968 | Concrete tower | San Antonio | 176 | 229 | |
| 81 | Rheinturm | 1979 | Concrete tower | Düsseldorf | 170 | 240.5 | |
| 81 | Umeda Sky Building | 1993 | Skyscraper | Osaka | 170 | 173 | |
| 81 | Tallinn TV Tower | 1980 | Tower | Tallinn | 170 | 314 | |
| 84 | Donauturm | 1964 | Concrete tower | Vienna | 169.4 | 252 | |
| 85 | N Seoul Tower | 1975 | Steel tower | Seoul | 168.3 | 236.7 | Tower sits atop Namsan Mountain. |
| 86 | Vilnius TV Tower | 1980 | Tower | Vilnius | 165 | 326.5 | |
| 87 | Space Needle | 1962 | Steel tower | Seattle | 158.5 | 184.4 | |
| 89 | Calgary Tower | 1968 | Concrete tower | Calgary | 157.5 | 190.8 | |
| 90 | Fernsehturm Stuttgart | 1956 | Concrete tower | Stuttgart | 153 | 216.6 | |
| 90 | Çamlıca Tower | 2020 | Concrete tower | Istanbul | 153 | 369 | |
| 92 | Avala Tower | 2009 | Concrete tower | Belgrade | 135 | 204.5 | |
| 93 | Fukuoka Tower | 1989 | Tower | Fukuoka | 123 | 234 | |
| 94 | Kuwait viewing sphere | 1979 | Concrete tower | Kuwait City | 120 | 187 | (1990 Liberation Tower of ~300 m is not open to public). |
| 95 | Palace of Culture and Science | 1955 | Multi-function | Warsaw | 114 | 237 | Observation deck on 30th floor. |
| 96 | Spinnaker Tower | 2005 | Tower | Portsmouth | 110 | 170 | |
| 97 | Millennium Center 2 office tower restaurant | 2016 | Skyscraper | Sofia | 105 | 108 | |
| 98 | Kyoto Tower | 1964 | Tower | Kyoto | 100 | 131 | |
| 98 | Nagoya TV Tower | 1954 | Tower | Nagoya | 100 | 180 | |
| 100 | Tashkent Tower | 1985 | Tower | Tashkent | 97 | 375 | |
| 101 | Snezhanka Tower, Pamporovo, Bulgaria | 1978 | Concrete tower | Pamporovo | 93 | 156 | |
| 102 | Kobe Port Tower | 1963 | Tower | Kobe | 90.8 | 108 | |
| 103 | Sapporo TV Tower | 1957 | Tower | Sapporo | 90 | 147.2 | |
| 104 | Tsūtenkaku | 1956 | Tower | Osaka | 87.5 | 108 | |
| 105 | City-Hochhaus Leipzig | 1972 | Skyscraper | Leipzig | 120 | 142.5 | 31st floor. |
| 106 | Nebraska State Capitol | 1930 | Skyscraper | Lincoln | 75 | 120 | 14th floor. |
| 107 | Arc de Triomphe | 1836 | Monument | Paris | 50 | 50 | Rooftop terrace. |

## List of highest observation decks by type

| Type | Name and Location | Constructed | Height |
| Observation Skywalk over vertical cliff free drop | ”Step into the Void” glass skywalk, Aiguille du Midi peak, The Alps, France | 2013 | 1,035 m (3,396 ft) |
| Observation deck inside a spire | Merdeka 118, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | 2023 | 566 m (1,857 ft) |
| Enclosed observation deck on high-rise building | Shanghai Tower, Shanghai and Ping An Finance Centre, Shenzhen, China | 2015 and 2017 | 562 m (1,844 ft) |
| Outdoor observation deck on high-rise building | Burj Khalifa, Dubai, UAE | 2014 | 555.7 m (1,823 ft) |
| Skywalk over (artificial) waterfall free drop | Sky Corridor Waterfall Walkway, Huangteng Gorge, Guangdong, China | 2018 | 500 m (1,640 ft) |
| Observation deck on tower | Canton Tower, Guangzhou, China | 2011 | 488 m (1,601 ft) |
| Skywalk over high-rise building | Skydeck (The Ledge) observation deck glass balconies, Willis Tower, Chicago, USA | 2009 | 412.4 m (1,353 ft) |
| Skywalk over bridge | Zhangjiajie Glass Bridge, Zhangjiajie, China | 2016 | 300 m (984 ft) |
| Skywalk over glacier | Glacier Skywalk, Jasper National Park, Alberta, Canada | 2014 | 280 m (919 ft) |

## Timeline of world's highest observation decks

This is a timeline of the development of world's highest observation decks since the inauguration of the Washington Monument in 1885.
| Held record | Held record | Name and Location | Constructed | Height of highest observation deck | Notes |
| From | To | Name and Location | Constructed | Height of highest observation deck | Notes |
| 1885 | 1889 | Washington Monument, Washington D.C., United States | 1889 | 152.3 m (500 ft) | Was the world's tallest structure when completed. |
| 1889 | 1931 | Eiffel Tower, Paris, France | 1889 | 275 m (902 ft) | Two further observation decks 57 & 115 m. |
| 1931 | 1973 | Empire State Building, New York City, United States | 1931 | 369 m (1,211 ft) | A second observation deck is located on the 86th floor at 320 metres above ground. |
| 1973 | 1974 | World Trade Center, New York City, United States (article) | 1973 | 399.4 m (1,310 ft) | Measured from sea level, street level was 10 feet above sea level. Indoor observation deck on the 107th floor of South Tower opened on April 4, 1973. Destroyed during the September 11 attacks. |
| 1974 | 1975 | Sears Tower (since renamed Willis Tower), Chicago, United States | 1974 | 412.4 m (1,353 ft) | Measured from the Franklin Street entrance, 103rd floor observation deck opened on June 22, 1974 |
| 1975 | 1976 | World Trade Center, New York City, United States (article) | 1973 | 419.7 m (1,377 ft) | Measured from sea level, street level was 10 feet above sea level. Outdoor observation deck on rooftop of the South Tower opened on December 15, 1975. Destroyed during the September 11 attacks. |
| 1976 | 2004 | CN Tower, Toronto, Ontario, Canada | 1976 | 446.5 m (1,465 ft) | Two further observation decks 342 and 346 metres above ground. |
| 2004 | 2008 | Taipei 101, Taipei, Republic of China (Taiwan) | 2004 | 449.2 m (1,474 ft) | Two other observation decks are at 392 m (1,286 ft) (91st-floor outdoor observation deck) and 383 m (1,257 ft) (89th-floor indoor observation deck). |
| 2008 | 2011 | Shanghai World Financial Centre, Shanghai, People's Republic of China | 2008 | 474 m (1,555 ft) | Other observation decks are at 423 m (1,388 ft) and 439 m (1,440 ft). |
| 2011 | 2014 | Canton Tower, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China | 2011 | 488 m (1,601 ft) | The outdoor rooftop observation deck opened in December 2011. There are also several other indoor observation decks in the tower, the highest at 433.2 m (1,421 ft). |
| 2014 | 2016 | Burj Khalifa, Dubai, UAE | 2010 | 555.7 m (1,821 ft) | Opened on October 15, 2014, on the 148th floor. There is another observation deck at 452.1 m (1,483 ft) on the 124th floor, which has been open since the building was opened to the public. |
| 2016 | Present | Shanghai Tower, Shanghai, China | 2015 | 562.1 m (1,844 ft) | Opened on July 1, 2016. there are also 2 more observation decks on the 118th and 119th floor, at 546 and 552 meters respectively. |

### Under construction

* 2028 (est) Burj Azizi, Dubai, United Arab Emirates. 649 m, Level 130
* 2028 (est) Jeddah Tower, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. 637 m, Level 157
* Unknown Goldin Finance 117, Tianjin, China. 578.7 m, Level 116
* 2023 (est.) Merdeka 118, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. 517.7 m , Level 117 (Spire observation level at 566 m)
* 2026 (est) Torre Rise, Monterrey, Mexico. 354 m, Level 93 and 365 m, Level 96
* 2028 (est.) Torch Tower, Tokyo, Japan. 352 m, Level 55
* 2027 (est) Taipei Twin Towers, Taipei, Taiwan. 347 m, Level 73
Approved
* 2025 (est.) Signature Tower Jakarta, Jakarta, Indonesia. 515.8 m, Level 111
* 2030 (est.) Millennium Tower, Frankfurt, Germany. 280 m, Level 67
See also List of tallest buildings and structures in the world#World's highest observation deck

## Observation deck gallery

* General view of Paris from the rooftop terrace of the Arc de Triomphe, c. 1840.
* The 10 m observation deck of Ronda, Spain, overlooks the Depression of Ronda plain over 100 m below.
* A multi-level tree house in Cape Town, South Africa, with an observation deck on top.
* An observation deck place in Rokko Garden Terrace, Mount Rokkō, Kobe, Japan.
* An observation deck in West Berlin with a view of Potsdamer Platz on the other side of the Berlin Wall, 1977. At the bottom of the steps a placard shows what the square looked like in 1929.
* Brooklyn Bridge as viewed from the One World Observatory in New York City.
* Night View of the Victoria Harbour, Hong Kong from sky100.
* View from the Shanghai Tower observation deck.
* Visitors on the observation deck of the Skylon Tower, which overlooks Niagara Falls.
* The observation deck from the TK Elevator Test Tower, which overlooks Germany's Black Forest and the Alps.
* Glass balconies attached to the St Eusebius Church in Arnhem, Netherlands.
* Footage of the panoramic views during an 1898 ascent of the Eiffel Tower by the Lumière brothers.