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Rockefeller Center gets a new ride, 'The Beam,' honoring an iconic NYC photo
By
Precious Fondren
Published Dec 4, 2023
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Diane Bondareff AP Images for Tishman Speyer
By
Precious Fondren
Published Dec 4, 2023
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Rockefeller Center is taking people to new heights.
A new, immersive experience called “The Beam” gives visitors the chance to recreate the iconic “Lunch atop a Skyscraper” picture that was taken in 1932.
The original photo featured 11 ironworkers eating their lunch on a steel beam hundreds of feet above the ground, during construction of what is now 30 Rockefeller Plaza.
While many people assume the photo was a candid shot, it was actually a publicity stunt. But to this day, the identity of the photographer and many of the workers have never been confirmed.
"Lunch atop a Skyscraper 1932"
Courtesy Tishman Speyer
The Beam ride is located outdoors, on the 69th floor of that building. It lifts people 12 feet above the observation deck and spins 180 degrees to give an unobstructed view of Central Park and the surrounding skyline.
The experience lasts less than two minutes, and unlike the men in the photograph, visitors to The Beam are secured down with seatbelts.
“The idea of creating The Beam so that people could feel directly connected to that iconic photo really appealed to us,” said EB Kelly, the head of Rockefeller Center.
Tom Dearden was at Rockefeller Center on Friday, The Beam’s opening day, with his girlfriend. He said he bought tickets because he owns a copy of the photograph.
“It's hanging in our kitchen, so every time we look at it now we know that we were there,” he said.
Charlene Wang, an influencer who focuses on tourism in New York City, was invited to experience The Beam on its opening day.
“It’s something that is the thing to do in the city now,” she said “That's what I like to focus on. I think this is going to be the thing that everyone is going to want to do.”
Tickets to the Top of the Rock start at $40 for adults; admission to The Beam is an additional $25. For more information visit here.
Tagged
midtown
holidays
manhattan
photographer
central park
rockefeller center
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things to do
art
Precious Fondren
Precious is a former WNYC & Gothamist culture reporter.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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