The history of the Freedom Tower / One World Trade Center
Located in Lower Manhattan, the Freedom Tower is the main skyscraper of the Word Trade Center complex. This tower was built on the site of the former World Trade Center Tower 6, destroyed in the attacks of September 11, 2001.
Following this tragic event, it took almost 18 months to clean up the place. Following this major clean-up, several projects were proposed for the reconstruction of the new Word Trade Center and it was that of Daniel Libeskind, an American architect, which was selected.
In 2003, David Childs, another American architect joined the project. He designed the One World Trade Center and the construction of the building began in 2006. Construction it ends in 2013 and the observation platform opened in 2015.
The One World Trade Center is surrounded by the 9/11 Memorial, two basins built on the site of the two old twin towers and where the name of each victim of the attacks is engraved. A museum dedicated to the events of September 11, 2001 has also been opened. Other buildings are still under construction such as the World Trade Center Performing Art Center, a center dedicated to art.
The site consists of six buildings in total: the One, the Two, the Three, the Four, the Five and the Seven World Trade Center. The whole is surrounded by trees and water.
The One World Trade Center in a few figures
The Freedom Tower was made up of 69 business floors and 73 elevators, but only 5 allow to climb to the observation platform. The others are intended for employees working in offices, for security. In total, the monument counts 108 floors including 4 underground.
One World Trade Center hauteur
As stated, the height of this building is 541 meters.
One World Trade Center ou Freedom Tower ?
If at the beginning the name of Freedom Tower had been given to this new monument, this one was changed by the port authority (Port Authority) in One World Trade Center. Too much linked to the September 11 attacks, the name Freedom Tower would probably have had negative repercussions on the economy and tourism.
A visit with many surprises!
A visit to New York necessarily involves a discovery of the Freedom Tower, and for good reason! You will be amazed! Before discovering what to see, here is an overview of the different floors of this building:
- Ground floor: entrance hall.
- From 1st to 19th: unoccupied floors.
- From the 20th to the 63rd: office floors.
- 64e: sky lobby.
- From 65th to 88th: offices.
- 89th and 90th: transmission accessories.
- 91st and 100th: technical floors.
- 100e au 102e : One World Observatory.
- 103rd to 108th: technical floors occupied by machines.
Le One World Observatory
An interesting and rewarding journey
If the Empire State Building and the Top of the Rock are renowned for offering their visitors a panoramic view of the city, the One World Trade Center is second to none, and for good reason! Since One World Observatory, located at 102nd floor of the tower, the 360 ° view of New York is simply magnificent!
Before arriving at the observation platform, a route is offered to get you in the mood and make you wait. Note that you will only be able to enter at the time you have chosen. It is therefore useless to come an hour before.
Your visit will start with the Global Welcome Center where a Big screen welcomes visitors in ten languages. In the room Voices, a film showing the construction of the monument (testimonials from people who worked on the project, unpublished photos…) is also available to you. Do not hesitate to visit the gallery foundations where you will have the chance to watch interesting facts about the construction of the building.
This first visit is over? Get on an elevator. They are named Sky Pods and have a capacity of 15 people. To get to the 102nd floor, it takes about a minute. It's a very short duration, but during your trip you can watch a small video showing the evolution of the New York cityscape.
Have you arrived at the 102nd floor? Meet at See Forever Theater where another video on New York is offered to you. It lasts 2 minutes and at the end, the screen will disappear to make way for the famous skyline.
From the One World Observatory, the view is spectacular! You will have the chance to see the Brooklyn Bridge, the Financial District, the Empire State Building, Ellis Island, the Statue of Liberty and many more!
You will also be able to discover two spaces (one in the north and one in the south) where a speaker will explain to you what you can see through a television system.
Note: The One World Observatory is visited indoors. There is no access to the outside.
The 100th and 101st floors
These two floors are also part of the One World Observatory. At 100th floor, you can access two interactive rooms where videos on recent technologies are available. You can also find the Sky Portal, a giant circular screen that presents real-time images of the neighborhood located below the tower. If you want to buy a souvenir, know that a shop is also open on this floor.
Le 101th floor houses restaurants. Are you hungry? Do you want to dine? Do you fancy a cocktail? You will find a restaurant that suits you!
What is the price of One World Observatory?
- price for the One World Observatory are from :
- $ 35 for people between 13 and 64 years old.
- $ 33 for over 65s.
- $ 29 for children 6 to 12 years old.
- Free for less than 5 years.
If you plan to go to the observation deck during the sunset time slot, a surcharge of $ 5 is applied.
Remember to book your entrance tickets in advance. This ensures that you have your seat and that you can visit the Freedom Tower at the time you want.
Practical information on the One World Observatory
Opening time
The One World Observatory is open everyday :
- From 8 a.m. to 22 p.m. (last entry sold at 21 p.m.) from December 15 to January 20.
- From 9 a.m. to 21 p.m. (last entry sold at 20:15 p.m.) from January 6 to April 30.
- From 8 a.m. to 21 p.m. (last entry sold at 20:45 p.m.) from May 1 to September 2.
- From 9 a.m. to 21 p.m. (last entry sold at 20:15 p.m.) from September 3 to October 2.
- From 8 a.m. to 21 p.m. (last entry sold at 20:15 p.m.) from October 3 to December 19.
On January 1, July 4, September 11, December 24, 25 and 31, but also for Thanksgiving Day and Black Friday, the hours are adjusted.
Address
The Freedom Tower is surrounded by West Street to the west, Washington Street to the east, Vesey Street to the north, and Fulton Street to the south. Its full address is: 285 Fulton St, New York, NY 10007.
Useful information
Strollers and wheelchairs are accepted. It is also possible to rent an iPad for $ 15. Thanks to it, you will be able to access an application which will give you the name of the monuments around you.
During your visit, you can bring a camera, a pole for your selfies and a small camera. On the other hand, it is forbidden to have firearms, a knife, a sharp blade, a camera and a professional camera, a tripod and snacks (food, drinks, etc.) with you.
When is the best time to visit One World Observatory?
The best way to take pretty pictures is noon and evening. Indeed, in the morning, you may be embarrassed by the sun and your photos may not be as successful as at noon and in the evening.
Visiting the Freedom Tower is a must-see during your stay in New York! Indeed, it is one of the most important places in American history and discovering this monument as well as the 9/11 Memorial is essential to understand the scale of the attacks of September 11, 2001.
