In the city that never sleeps, there’s plenty of great vantage points to take in the city from. The EDGE, One World Observatory, the Empire State Building…and the Chrysler Building?!
Why yes, many New Yorkers don’t even know that the famous building in Midtown was once home to a secret observation deck in the 1940s!
The grand opening
Let’s start with a bit of history, all the way back when the Chrysler Building first opened back in 1930.
At the time, the state-of-the-art building featured a public observation called the “Celestial” which was on the building’s 71st floor.
New Yorkers could take in panoramic views of New York city for a mere 50 cents inside the building’s iconic spire and 900 square foot deck.
Alongside the vantage points on all four sides of the deck, the “Celestial” followed in theme—the space adorned with celestial patterns, vaulted ceilings painted with stars and planets, and small hanging glass planets throughout.
This star-themed environment was intended to evoke the feeling of being among the heavens, aligning with the building’s Art Deco fascination with progress, technology, and the future.
The observation deck was unique in its own way compared to others of the era. With triangular windows and radiating arches, the futuristic architectural details helped reinforce the otherworldly theme of “reaching towards the sky.”
…and the quick closure
Although being quite popular for the first year or two in operation, the “Celestial” observation deck quickly closed down almost as fast as it opened.
Due to various reasons, including losing popularity to the Empire State Building’s higher observation decks when it opened in 1931, the Chrysler Building’s observation deck shuttered its doors in 1945, just 15 years after the building opened!
Between the difference in altitude and the spire-based location making for awkward viewing experiences, they lost business seemingly overnight, fading away in the observation deck world.
In the years post deck-mortem, the space was repurposed for radio and television broadcasting equipment before turning into the office building that stands today.
So why is the observation deck so “secret”?
While the Chrysler Building’s observation wasn’t literally a secret back in the day (in fact it did decent for about a year), it’s short stint of being open makes it feel like one.
It was kind of a “if you were there, you’d know” kind of a thing. That’s if you were to have talked someone from that era nowadays.
Fading out of the public memory during its short existence, paired with the unique location inside the spire and celestial theme contributed its mystique and reputation as a “secret” part of the Chrysler Building’s history.