This was an amazing exhibition. I am start struck ( no pun intended). I attended the planetarium…read morefor public night it's open to the public free or charge. Really informative and the graphics are beyond amazing.

Still star struck by the wonderful display at Leitner's. Funny thing is, I have lived near this…read moreplace for years and didn't even know it existed. BEST KEPT SCERET IN NEW HAVEN! Leitner's is nestled away behind the Divinity School at Yale. When driving on Prospect Street, you have to go up a long driveway to even see it. Out of curiosity, I decided to see what was up the hill one day, and wha-lah, I stumbled onto a whole planetarium. Neat! The planetarium is open to the public on Tuesday nights and Sunday afternoons (check out the schedule here http://bit.ly/1tEK7PT) for FREE shows. The current shows focus on Black Holes. Our moderator, Angelo, walked us through all of the constellations visible from earth on a clear night, and even tied in some Greek mythology. Interesting presentation. The coolest part was the special effects that allow the audience to zoom into stars, it felt like I was whizzing through space. That was the first half of the presentation, about 30 minutes long. In the second part, they show a movie that delves into the mysteries of black holes. On clear nights, after the show, they offer free viewings of the night sky through their massive telescopes. It was a little hazy on the night I went, but I was still able to see Saturn. It was a great outing for the bargain price of... Free! This would be a great experience for families with children or for lovebirds to hold hands while gazing into the stars (gentleman, tell your lady no star is as radiant as she is and your guaranteed a smooch... You're welcome.). An out of this world experience! I'll be back.

I love this place…read more During the first time we came, around November, it was a full moon and we were told that conditions weren't so optimal. However, there were a lot of people out and the place was hopping. There were stargazers who had set up their own telescopes on the lawn, the domes were manned, and monitors were displaying what they were focused on with such amazing views. We went inside and queued up to be able to go upstairs to the big telescope (they bring up 15 people at a time), and the waiting area had a piano player that provided a lovely ambiance. There were a couple of staff members speaking and answering questions, and really learned quite a bit from them. Here's where it gets even better...it's run by volunteers and is free. There is no other place like it. They operate on donations from visitors (5 bucks), and dues from those who decide to become members. We fell in love with the experience that night and became members ourselves. I even had my girlfriend become a volunteer We returned on 12/21 for the Winter Solstice where they had a lecturer out front on the lawn with a laser pointer and he gave a talk about what was visible in the night sky. Bonus: it was completely dark. No moonlight. They served coffee, tea, hot cocoa, desserts and cookies from Erica's Rugelach, and there was quite a crowd that night despite it being 19 degrees out. No piano this time, but a very good guitar player provided lovely music. I don't know what it is about this location, but the stars seem much clearer, like they want to come out and show off. Spent quite a bit of time at the big scope, got to see Jupiter and its moons, Orion's Nebula, Mars, it's always a fantastic time here if you're into stargazing. If you want to do something off the beaten path on a Saturday night, this is the place. In my photos, you'll see the difference from when there was a full moon, and the night of the Winter Solstice.

Everyone that works here is very knowledgeable, it's cool to see the passion that they all have in…read morethis hobby. Unfortunately when my boyfriend and I went it was a cloudy day so we didn't get to look up at the stars, but we got to tour the building. Will be back again!

A beautiful place for a picnic, events, and weddings. It's huge, with lots to do. Even if you get…read morelost, it will be a fun experience with lots to do and discover. I look forward to going back next year.

I work here, and aside from the 1.5-hour plus commute, it's a glorious place to work. Stunning…read moregrounds, fragrant air, wildlife galore. It's also inspiring to be in the company of some of the finest scientific minds of our time.

Going to the Top of the Rock is a good experience. Has a short film presentation before head up to…read morethe observation decks. I'll speak to the Beam Experience next, but before I do....do note, I give this place 5 stars overall, as it is an iconic NY building worth visiting. There's far more to see at this building, than just the observation deck I speak to in this review. . Now, what I personally found a rip off, is the Beam Experience. It costs $20 a head, in addition to your base observation ticket price. Not worth it at all and here's why: - You sit on the beam and strap in. - It goes straight up (5-6 seconds). - Pauses briefly and turns 180 to face outward (6-7 seconds). - It pauses again as it faces outward (9-10 seconds). - it turns back toward the Top of the Rock building and takes your pic (7-8 seconds). - Beam lowers back to roof top (5 seconds). . As you can see, it is so brief in duration. And there's nothing that makes you feel vulnerable at all. Or you're not any higher, actually lower, than an observation deck you can be in and be higher than folks on the beam experience. The only way the beam experience may be worth it to you....is for your to be highly nostalgic.....and want to sit on a steel beam....up in the air a bit....and technically be like those guys eating lunch on a beam all those years ago....in kinda the same place as those workers did way back when. If you don't know, that classic of the workers on the beam; occurred during the building of the Rockefeller Building. But as I see it, this beam experience isn't worth it at all.

I was extremely disappointed with the FIFA Watch Party at Top of the Rock…read more I had been looking forward to this match for months and expected an unforgettable experience. Instead, it turned into one of the most poorly organized events I've ever attended. The venue was severely overcrowded, and there were far too few TVs for the number of people admitted. Most guests, including us, couldn't even watch the game because there simply wasn't enough viewing space. We spent the event walking around trying to find a place where we could see a screen, but it was impossible. This event was clearly oversold without proper planning or consideration for the guest experience. We paid specifically to watch the FIFA final, but ended up missing most of the match. We left feeling frustrated, disappointed, and honestly scammed. This was not the experience that was advertised or promised. I hope Top of the Rock takes responsibility for what happened and provides refunds to the affected guests, while making sure events like this are organized much better in the future.

Beautiful, wouldn't say almost $60 worth tho, as we finished in ab 35 mins (while taking our time)…read more Also I'm not sure who pissed in all of the staffs Cheerios, esp the old blonde chick w glasses. I feel like every interaction with a staff member, u can tell they didn't want to be there

An Unforgettable, Interactive NYC Skyline Experience…read more What a truly fantastic experience! We booked our tickets well in advance and *tried* to time our slot for the sunset. Even with the heavy crowds and a long, congested line inside that definitely could have used some better ventilation, the entire experience was absolutely worth the money. A Massive Hit with the Kids: We took our young boys, and they thoroughly enjoyed themselves. Even though they had already visited the Empire State Building on our trip, the interactive installations here kept them completely engaged. They especially loved the room with the floating silver balloons, in addition to the stunning mirror installation. Perfect Photo Ops: There are fun opportunities throughout the exhibit to capture family photos with the city skyline as a backdrop. Convenient Location: We ended our memorable visit with an easy, stress-free family dinner right next door at the Grand Central Station food court, which was incredibly convenient. Pro Tip: Be sure to bring sunglasses to combat the sunlight + mirrors.

In 19th century London, a crackpot Victorian engineer named Alexander Stanhope St. George dreamed…read moreup an undersea tunnel to serve as a speedy traffic conduit from London to New York. (He hated travel by boat) His traffic corridor was never realized, but his enterprising great grandson Paul St. George recently discovered the mysterious blueprints of his great-grandfather's incomplete dig. The younger St. George has installed fiberoptic cables running under the Atlantic, through the completed tunnel, from the Brooklyn Bridge to London's Tower Bridge, allowing New Yorkers and Londoners to greet each other in real time, across the pond! St. George's story is so intriguing and fanciful--and it really is quite a marvel to wave at our friends over in London and see them wave back. In fact, it's so much fun to tickle our brains with St. George's fantasy, don't you dare think for a second about skype, cellphones, the internet, streaming video or other inventions of our non-Victorian age, or your creeping doubts may just ruin this enchanting tale. Go see it for yourself, until June 15th.

I wish it would have been here permanently. They could easily make it a paid attraction. It was the…read morefirst time I did anything like this. Since then I have called people and waved from web cams. But this was just too cool and so much fun! I e-mailed people in London to meet me at a certain time in front of the Telectroscope and they did. Look at the picture I have. It is priceless. It is a family in London and see the bridge in the background!. I wish it would come back!

The Edge and City Climb combo was such a good experience. The Edge itself has amazing views, but…read moreadding the City Climb made it feel way more memorable. Climbing up the side of the building was a little nerve wracking at first, but the staff made me feel safe and talked me through everything. Once I got to the top, the view was unbelievable and worth every bit of it. You can check out my full review and everything I did on Instagram and TikTok: @travelnistaonthemove

I was very disappointed with Edge. Originally, I had wanted to do the City Climb experience, but…read morethey were doing renovations to it, and it wasn't available. In hindsight, it was for the best. As it was, I paid extra for priority access, which allows you to skip the lines. But there was no line to get in, and no line for the elevator up. There was a line for the elevator down that I got to skip, but it was only about 10 people, so I basically saved 5 minutes. The whole experience took me about 15-20 minutes. With Top of Rock, you've got the beam, the lift, and the short fun little movie at the beginning, with Empire, you have the historical aspect of it, and with Summit 1, you have the ballroom. There's nothing special or drawing to Edge. The views are ok, but the deck is on the smaller side of the ones I've been to. Security was a little rude and off-putting. The first security guard said I set the alarm off and sends me over to the side. That guy waves me through, then the original guy starts freaking out for me to stop. I go back to the 2nd, and I'm like you waived me through, and he just keeps saying it's ok. And pawing at my stuff, mind I had a clear bag so you see everything in case I set an alarm off. Anyway, It better be ok, I went to stop, and YOU waived me through. Overall, of the observation decks I've done, Edge has been the worst. 1. Top of the Rock 2. Summit 1 3. One Times Square 4. Empire State 5. Edge

We had a GREAT experience at One World Observatory, from bottom to top. We were there on a midweek…read morevisit so not crowded at all. The staff is exceptional and everyone we interacted with was incredibly kind and helpful including security. People, this is a touristy activity so go into it with that mindset. If you are military you get a 50% discount and those in your party get 20% so worth going down to the human manned ticket office. Once atop the views are gorgeous (even when cloudy) and exhibit information interesting. We decided to have a drink in the bar as we were celebrating my husband's birthday which was a milestone one. The bar staff was amazing , mixing up some delish drinks and buying my husband his. We absolutely LOVED Nicole who was helpful, fun, and had a magical personality. Yup the drink prices are up there (pardon the pun) but it's no different than any other view type establishment and I've done a few in fact I found them less than some places. Highlights of the day- drinks at the top and hanging with Nicole.

A mixed bag. I sprung for the VIP tour, which I usually try and do with things like this, since it…read moregets me through the lines quicker. And our guide, Phillip was great. Personable and knowledgeable I can only say good things about me. But the Observatory as a whole was disappointing. There's no outdoor part to it, and the views are pretty standard compared to the other observation towers. I would say its also simple compared to the other decks, where they have other draws like Top of the Rock having the lift and beam, Summit 1 having the ballroom and glass floors, etc. There's nothing like that here. Overall, I rank it 5/6 of the observation decks I've done. 1. Top of the Rock 2. Summit 1 3. One Times Square 4. Empire State 5. One World 6. Edge

The Shepaug Eagle Observation Area is a wonderful place for visitors to observe Eagles, and view…read moreexhibits. The program is managed by volunteers from the Connecticut Audubon. Volunteers can assist viewers, provide information, and answer questions. Admission is free but reservations are required. This season runs from 12/21 through 3/15 on Wednesday, Saturdays, and Sunday. Christine's Critters was there on the day I went giving a very detailed presentation, and bringing the audience face-to-face with rescue birds of prey. This is a wonderful place that can be enjoyed by all ages.

Amazing time watching the eagles! Definitely need a better lens! We were able to see two eagles…read morein the trees as well as juveniles. They offer free binoculars, but it's best to bring your own. It's chilly, so make sure you are dressed properly during the winter months

This place is awesome and always being improved. Aside from being an artist's dream air bnb, you…read morecan hold an event here. The owner, Micha, is hospitable and helpful with a great attitude and positive outlook. The bathrooms are always spotless no matter what size gathering. There are comfy couches and piles of floor pillows and a beautiful outdoor covered (rain) and uncovered (star-gazing)seating areas.