thumb|300px|[[The Edge (NYC)|The Edge at 30 Hudson Yards in Midtown Manhattan, containing optically transparent flooring, looking toward Lower Manhattan, opened in 2020]]
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
{|class="wikitable sortable"
|+valign=top style="background:silver" | List of <!--tallest -->public observation decks
! width=2% "unsortable"| Rank
! width=15% | Name
! width=2% | Completion Year
! width=10% | Type
! width=10% | City
! width=5% | Deck height (m)
! width=5% | Total height (m)
! Notes
|-
|1
|Burj Khalifa
|2010
|Skyscraper
| Dubai
|
|
|Floors 152-154 (opened 2019). Additional decks on floor 148 (555m, opened 2014, which was the world's highest observation deck at its opening) and floors 124-125 (452m).
|-
|2
|Shanghai Tower
|2015
|Skyscraper
| Shanghai
|
|632
|121st floor; decks are also on 118th and 119th floors.
|-
|3
|Ping An Finance Centre
|2017
|Skyscraper
| Shenzhen
|
|
|100th floor, decks also on levels 94 & 97.
|-
|9
|Tokyo Skytree
|2012
|Steel tower
| Tokyo
|
|
|Three additional observation decks at 340m, 345m, and 350m.
|-
|10
|Taipei 101
|2004
|Skyscraper
| Taipei
|
|
| 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 .<!--SOURCE: Taipei 101 WIKIARTICLE-->.
|-
|11
|CN Tower
|1976
|Concrete tower
| Toronto
|
|
|Two additional observation decks at 342 m (outdoor) & 346 m (indoor).
|-
|12
|Willis Tower
|1974
|Skyscraper
| Chicago
|
|
|103rd floor<!--SELF-EVIDENT: 3rd highest observation deck in a building-->; 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
|
|
|100th floor; 360-degree indoor observation deck.
|-
|14
|One World Trade Center
|2014
|Skyscraper
| New York City
|
|
|Observation deck on the 100th, 101st and 102nd floors.
|-
|15
|Landmark 81
|2019
|Skyscraper
| Ho Chi Minh City
|
|
|Observation decks on 79th, 80th and 81st floors.
|-
|16
|Autograph Tower
|2025
|Skyscraper
| Jakarta
|382.9
|382.9
|Observation deck on 99th floor, it has the world’s highest outdoor pool and the highest skydeck in Southern Hemisphere.
|-
|17
|Petronas Towers
|1998
|Skyscraper
| Kuala Lumpur
|
|
|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.
|-
|18
|Empire State Building
|1931
|Skyscraper
| New York City
|
|
|102nd floor; additional 86th floor deck (320 m).
|-
|19
|Iconic Tower
|2023
|Skyscraper
| New Administrative Capital
|
|
|Observations on 74th, 75th and 76th floors.
|-
|20
|Lakhta Center
|2021
|Skyscraper
| Saint Petersburg
|
|
|Observations on 84th, 85th 86th and 87th floors.
|-
|21
|Ciel Tower
|2025
|Skyscraper
| Dubai
|
|
|Observation deck on 82rd floors, 76th floor (315 m)
|-
|22
|Oriental Pearl Tower
|1994
|Concrete tower
| Shanghai
|
|
|15 observation levels, the highest one being outdoors <!--SOURCE: Oriental Pearl Tower WIKIARTICLE-->
|-
|23
|The Strat
|1996
|Concrete Tower
| Paradise
|
|
|Tallest observation tower in the U.S.
|-
|24
|Tuntex Sky Tower
|1997
|Skyscraper
| Kaohsiung
|
|
|74th floor.
|-
|25
|Jin Mao Tower
|1998
|Skyscraper
| Shanghai
|
|
|88th floor.
|-
| rowspan="2" |25
|30 Hudson Yards
|2020
|Skyscraper
| New York City
|
|
|Observation decks on 100th and 101st floors.
|-
|Ostankino Tower
|1967
|Concrete tower
| Moscow
|
|
|Indoor deck is at 337 m.
|-
|27
|John Hancock Center
|1969
|Skyscraper
| Chicago
|
|
|94th floor.
|-
|28
|Milad Tower
|2007
|Concrete tower
| Tehran
|
|
|Top level.
|-
|29
|China World Trade Center Tower III
|2010
|Skyscraper
| Beijing
|
|
|81st floor.
|-
|30
|One Vanderbilt
|2021
|Skyscraper
| New York City
|
|
|Observations on 62nd and 63rd floors.
|-
|31
|Shun Hing Square
|1996
|Skyscraper
| Shenzhen
|
|
|
|-
|32
|US Bank Tower
|1989
|Skyscraper
| Los Angeles
|
|
|69th (indoor and outdoor observation) and 70th floors (skyslide and events) CLOSED.
|-
|33
|Kingdom Centre
|2002
|Skyscraper
| Riyadh
|
|
|41st floor.
|-
|34
|Abeno Harukas
|2014
|Skyscraper
| Osaka
|
|
|58th–60th floor (top floor).
|-
|35
|Zifeng Tower
|2010
|Skyscraper
| Nanjing
|
|
|
|-
|36
|Eureka Tower
|2007
|Skyscraper
| Melbourne
|<!--SOURCE: Eureka Tower WIKIARTICLE SAYS "almost 300 m"-->
|
|Skydeck 88 is at a height of 285 m.
|-
| rowspan="2" |37
|King Power MahaNakhon
|2018
|Skyscraper
| Bangkok
|
|
| Observation deck on 74th, 76th, and 78th floors.
|-
|Etihad Towers (Tower 2)
|2011
|Skyscraper
| Abu Dhabi
|
|
|Observation deck at 300 is located on 75th floor.
|-
|39
|Eiffel Tower
|1889
|Wrought iron lattice tower
| Paris
|
|
|3rd floor.
|-
|40
|Menara Kuala Lumpur
|1996
|Concrete tower
| Kuala Lumpur
|
|
|
|-
|41
|Columbia Center
|1985
|Skyscraper
| Seattle
|
|
|73rd floor.
|-
|42
|Yokohama Landmark
|1993
|Skyscraper
| Yokohama
|
|
|69th floor.
|-
|43
|One Liberty Place
|1987
|Skyscraper
| Philadelphia
|269
|288
|57th floor.
|-
|44
|Bank of America Plaza (Dallas)
|1985
|Skyscraper
| Dallas
|
|
|71st floor; additional on 70th floor at .
|-
|45
|JPMorgan Chase Tower
|1982
|Skyscraper
| Houston
|
|
|60th floor.
|-
|46
|Sydney Tower
|1981
|Steel Tower
| Sydney
|
|
|Main indoor observation deck; outdoor skywalk attraction on roof is located at 279 meters.
|-
|47
|Gran Torre Santiago
|2013
|Skyscraper
| Santiago
|
|
|Observation deck named Sky Costanera is located on floors 61 and 62.
|-
|48
|GE Building
|1933
|Skyscraper
| New York City
|
|
|70th floor ("Top of the Rock").
|-
|49
|Tianjin Tower
|1991
|Concrete tower
| Tianjin
|
|
|
|-
|50
|40 Wall Street
|1929
|Skyscraper
| New York City
|
|
|
|-
|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
|
|
|
|-
|53
|Etihad Towers (Tower 1)
|2011
|Skyscraper
| Abu Dhabi
|
|
|
|-
|54
|63 Building
|1985
|Skyscraper
| Seoul
|
|
|60th floor.
|-
|55
|Midland Square
|2007
|Skyscraper
| Nagoya
|
|
|47th floor.
|-
|56
|Lotus Tower
|2019
|Concrete tower
| Colombo
|
|
|
|-
|57
|The Shard
|2013
|Skyscraper
| London
|
|
|72nd floor.
|-
|58
|Central Radio & TV Tower
|1992
|Concrete tower
| Beijing
|
|
|
|-
|59
|Sunshine 60
|1978
|Skyscraper
| Tokyo
|
|
|
|-
|60
|Federation Tower (Tower West)
|2008
|Skyscraper
| Moscow
|
|
| 62nd floor.
|-
|61
|TK Elevator Test Tower
|2017
|Concrete tower
| Rottweil
|232
|246
|30th floor (indoor and outdoor).
|-
| rowspan="3" |62
|Q1
|2005
|Skyscraper<!--SOURCE: Q1 (building) WIKIARTICLE-->
| Gold Coast
|
|
|77th floor (SkyPoint), with the function hall on the 78th.
|-
|West Pearl Tower
|2006
|Concrete tower
| Chengdu
|
|
|
|-
|Varso Tower
|2023
|Skyscraper
| Warsaw
|
|
|50th and 53rd floor.
|-
|65
|Shibuya Scramble Square
|2019
|Skyscraper
| Tokyo
|
|
|"SHIBUYA SKY" roof-deck on the top of the building.
|-
|66
|Roppongi Hills Mori Tower
|2003
|Skyscraper
| Tokyo
|
|
|52nd floor (indoor) and 54th floor (roof-deck).
|-
|67
|Taipei Nan Shan Plaza
|2018
|Skyscraper
| Taipei
|
|
|46th floor (indoor).
|-
|68
|Europaturm
|1979
|Concrete tower
| Frankfurt
|
|
|Since 1999, the Europaturm has been closed to the public.
|-
|69
|Tokyo Tower
|1958
|Steel truss tower
| Tokyo
|
|
|6th floor.
|-
|70
|Macau Tower
|2001
|Concrete tower
| Macau
|
|
|
|-
|71
|Sky Tower
|1997
|Concrete tower
| Auckland
|
|
|Skydeck observation deck on 60th floor.
|-
|72
|Tour Montparnasse
|1972
|Skyscraper
| Paris
|
|
|
|-
|73
|Fernsehturm Berlin
|1969<!--SOURCE: Fernsehturm Berlin WIKIARTICLE-->
|Concrete tower
| Berlin
|<!--SOURCE: Fernsehturm Berlin WIKIARTICLE-->
|<!--SOURCE: Fernsehturm Berlin WIKIARTICLE-->
|
|-
|74
|Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building
|1990
|Skyscraper
| Tokyo
|
|
|
|-
| rowspan="3" |75
|Main Tower
|1999
|Skyscraper
| Frankfurt
|
|
|
|-
|Sky Tower
|2012
|Skyscraper
| Wrocław
|
|
|Indoor observation deck located on 49th Floor.
|-
|Marina Bay Sands
|2010
|Skyscraper
| Singapore
|
|
|
|-
|78
|Olympiaturm
|1968
|Concrete tower
| Munich
|
|
|
|-
|79
|Mohammed VI Tower
|2023
|Skyscraper
| Salé
|
|
|Observation deck on 54th and 55th floor.
|-
|80
|Vysotsky
|2011
|Skyscraper
| Yekaterinburg
|
|
| Observation deck was opened on 3 May 2012.
|-
|81
|Bitexco Financial Tower
|2010
|Skyscraper
| Ho Chi Minh City
|
|
|47th floor.
|-
|82
|Tower of the Americas
|1968
|Concrete tower
| San Antonio
|
|
|
|-
| rowspan="3" |83
|
|1979
|Concrete tower
| Düsseldorf
|
|
|
|-
|Umeda Sky Building
|1993
|Skyscraper
| Osaka
|
|
|
|-
|Tallinn TV Tower
|1980
|Tower
| Tallinn
|
|
|
|-
|86
|Donauturm
|1964
|Concrete tower
| Vienna
|
|
|
|-
|87
|Torre Latinoamericana
|1956
|Skyscraper
| Mexico City
|166
|188
|
|-
|88
|N Seoul Tower
|1975
|Steel tower
| Seoul
|
|
|Tower sits atop Namsan Mountain.
|-
|90
|Vilnius TV Tower
|1980
|Tower
| Vilnius
|165
|326.5
|
|-
|91
|Azabudai Hills Mori JP Tower
|2024
|Skyscraper
| Tokyo
|
|
|Observation deck on 33th and 34th floor.
|-
|92
|Space Needle
|1962
|Steel tower
| Seattle
|
|
|
|-
|93
|Edifício Itália
|1966
|Skyscraper
| São Paulo
|
|
|
|-
|94
|Calgary Tower
|1968
|Concrete tower
| Calgary
|
|
|
|-
|95
|Fernsehturm Stuttgart
|1956
|Concrete tower
| Stuttgart
|
|
|
|-
|96
|Çamlıca Tower
|2020
|Concrete tower
| Istanbul
|
|
|
|-
|97
|Edifício Altino Arantes
|1947
|Skyscraper
| São Paulo
|
|
|
|-
|98
|Avala Tower
|2009
|Concrete tower
| Belgrade
|
|
|
|-
|99
|Mirante do Vale
|1967
|Skyscraper
| São Paulo
|
|
|
|-
|100
|Fukuoka Tower
|1989
|Tower
| Fukuoka
|
|
|
|-
|101
|Kuwait viewing sphere<!--name is in wikiarticle-->
|1979
|Concrete tower
| Kuwait City
|<!--SOURCE: Kuwait Towers WIKIARTICLE-->
|
|(1990 Liberation Tower of ~300 m is not open to public).
|-
|102
|Palace of Culture and Science
|1955
|Multi-function
| Warsaw
|
|
|Observation deck on 30th floor.
|-
|103
|Spinnaker Tower
|2005
|Tower
| Portsmouth
|
|
|
|-
|104
|Millennium Center 2 office tower restaurant
|2016
|Skyscraper
| Sofia
|
|
|
|-
|105
|Kyoto Tower
|1964
|Tower
| Kyoto
|
|
|
|-
|106
|Nagoya TV Tower
|1954
|Tower
| Nagoya
|
|
|
|-
|107
|Tashkent Tower
|1985
|Tower
| Tashkent
|
|
|
|-
|108
|Snezhanka Tower, Pamporovo, Bulgaria
|1978
|Concrete tower
| Pamporovo
|
|
|
|-
|109
|Kobe Port Tower
|1963
|Tower
| Kobe
|
|
|
|-
|110
|Statue of Liberty
|1886
|Statue
| New York City
|
|
|
|-
|111
|Sapporo TV Tower
|1957
|Tower
| Sapporo
|
|
|
|-
|112
|Tsūtenkaku
|1956
|Tower
| Osaka
|
|
|
|-
|113
|City-Hochhaus Leipzig
|1972
|Skyscraper
| Leipzig
|
|
|31st floor.
|-
|114
|Nebraska State Capitol
|1930
|Skyscraper
|Lincoln
|
|
|14th floor.
|-
|115
|Arc de Triomphe
|1836
|Monument
| Paris
|
|
|Rooftop terrace.
|}
List of highest observation decks by type
{| class="sortable wikitable" style="text-align: center;" cellpadding="2"
|- style="background: #ececec;"
! Type
! Name and Location
! Constructed
! Height
! Notes
|-
|Observation Skywalk over vertical cliff free drop
|Tianmen Mountain Glass Skywalk, China
|2016
|1,430 m (4,690 ft)
|
|-
|Observation deck inside a spire
|Merdeka 118, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
|2018
|
|
|-
|Observation deck on tower
|Canton Tower, Guangzhou, China
|2016
|
|
|-
|Skywalk over glacier
|Glacier Skywalk, Jasper National Park, Alberta, Canada
|2014
|
|
|}
Under construction
- 2030 (est) Burj Azizi, Dubai, United Arab Emirates. 649 m, Level 130
- 2028 (est) Jeddah Tower, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. 634 m, Level 157
- 2027 (est) Goldin Finance 117, Tianjin, China. 578.1 m, Level 116
- 2023 (est.) Merdeka 118, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. 517.7 m, Level 117 (Spire observation level at 566 m)
- 2030 (est.) Senna Tower, Balneário Camboriú, Brazil. 505 m, Level 140
- 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
<big>Approved</big>
- 2025 (est.) Signature Tower Jakarta, Jakarta, Indonesia. 515.8 m, Level 111
- 2030 (est.) Millennium Tower, Frankfurt, Germany. 280 m, Level 67
Destroyed
- 2 World Trade Center, Top of the World observation deck, outdoor observation deck on top of building, 1,362 feet (415 m), World Trade Center (1973–2001), New York, United States - Destroyed during the September 11 attacks
Gallery
<gallery>
File:Vues de Paris(13)Vue Générale de Paris, prise du haut de l'Arc de l'Etoile. QB.305a (cropped).jpg|General view of Paris from the rooftop terrace of the Arc de Triomphe, c. 1840.
File:Viewing platform - top right.jpg|The 10 m observation deck of Ronda, Spain, overlooks the Depression of Ronda plain over 100 m below.<!--SOURCE: Ronda WIKIARTICLE-->
File:TreeHouse-Elevated01.jpg|A multi-level tree house in Cape Town, South Africa, with an observation deck on top.
File:Rokko garden terrace03s3200.jpg|An observation deck place in Rokko Garden Terrace, Mount Rokkō, Kobe, Japan.
File:Observation deck overlooking Potsdamer Platz with placard showing 1929 view.jpg|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.
File:One World Observatory View.jpg|Brooklyn Bridge as viewed from the One World Observatory in New York City.
File:Vista del Puerto de Victoria desde Sky100, Hong Kong, 2013-08-09, DD 10.JPG|Night View of the Victoria Harbour, Hong Kong from sky100.
File:View on the observatory level of Shanghai Tower.jpg|View from the Shanghai Tower observation deck.
File:Niagara Falls - ON - Skylon Tower (Aussichtsdeck).jpg|Visitors on the observation deck of the Skylon Tower, which overlooks Niagara Falls.
File:Thyssenkrupp Testturm - Aussichtsplattform aussen.jpg|The observation deck from the TK Elevator Test Tower, which overlooks Germany's Black Forest and the Alps.
File:Glass balconies St Eusebius Church Arnhem NL.jpg|Glass balconies attached to the St Eusebius Church in Arnhem, Netherlands.
File:Vue Lumière No 992 - Panorama pendant l'ascension de la Tour Eiffel (1898).ogv|Footage of the panoramic views during an 1898 ascent of the Eiffel Tower by the Lumière brothers.
File:WTC 99 (28435126013).jpg|View of Manhattan, NYC from the former 2 World Trade Center observation deck, 1999
</gallery>
See also
- Observation car
- Observation wheel
- Timeline of world's highest observation decks