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ESB in the Movies
Find out what great movies used the ESB as a backdrop. Movies such as Sleepless in Seattle, When Harry Met Sally and An Affair to Remember – to see what other movies the ESB makes appearances in click on the link above.

EPA Energy Star
The Empire State Building Becomes a Charter Member of the Energy Star Building Label Program.

Broadcasting
From high atop the Empire State Building, above the 86th floor Observation Deck, Metro Networks monitors traffic conditions in the metropolitan New York area by way of two broadcast cameras and microwave antennas…

 


 

Lighting Schedule

Visitors and observers from near and far should not take the lighting of the Empire State Building for granted because there are always interesting and interactive events planned throughout the year. As a focal point for displays, gatherings, and promotions, the Tower Lights just might surprise you with how often they change!

Below is a list of the upcoming Tower Light themes. For a detailed timeline of how the Tower Lights have evolved, please visit the Tower Lights History page.

Tower lights go off every night at 2:00 AM.

 
 Upcoming Tower Lighting Schedule
Date Colors Occasion
04/08/2010 - 04/15/2010 White/White/White ESB Lighting
04/07/2010 Blue/Yellow/Red The White House Project, Annual EPIC Awards
04/05/2010 - 04/06/2010 White/White/White ESB Lighting
04/02/2010 - 04/04/2010 Green/Pink/Yellow Easter
04/01/2010 Blue/Blue/Blue Autism Speaks, Autism Awareness Month
03/28/2010 - 03/31/2010 White/White/White ESB Lighting
03/27/2010 Lights off Lights off from 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. – World Wildlife Fund, Earth Hour 2010
03/22/2010 - 03/26/2010 White/White/White ESB Lighting
03/19/2010 - 03/21/2010 White/Red/White New York Red Bulls, Grand Opening of Red Bull Arena
03/18/2010 White/White/White ESB Lighting
03/17/2010 Green/Green/Green St. Patrick's Day, Annual New York City St. Patrick's Day Parade on Fifth Avenue
03/05/2010 - 03/16/2010 White/White/White ESB Lighting
03/04/2010 Yellow/Blue/Red WNET.ORG, Celebration of Teaching and Learning
03/01/2010 - 03/03/2010 White/White/White ESB Lighting
02/26/2010 - 02/28/2010 North side: Blue/Black/Blue
East side: Yellow/Black/Yellow
South side: Green/Black/Green
West side: Red/Black/Red
Olympic Ring Colors - Winter Olympics 2010, Closing Ceremony Weekend
02/23/2010 - 02/25/2010 White/White/White ESB Lighting
02/22/2010 Green/Blue/Green Committee Encouraging Corporate Philanthropy, International Corporate Philanthropy Day
02/17/2010 - 02/21/2010 White/White/White ESB Lighting
02/16/2010 Red/Yellow/Red Lunar New Year
02/15/2010 Red/White/Blue President's Day
02/12/2010 - 02/14/2010 Red/Pink/White Valentine's Day
02/09/2010 - 02/11/2010 White/White/White ESB Lighting
02/08/2010 New Orleans Saints (Yellow/Black/Yellow) Team colors of Super Bowl winner
02/06/2010 - 02/07/2010 North/South sides:
New Orleans Saints (Yellow/Black/Yellow)

East/West sides:
Indianapolis Colts (Blue/White/Blue)
Super Bowl lighting
02/05/2010 Red/Red/Red American Heart Association, National Wear Red Day
02/03/2010 - 02/04/2010 White/White/White ESB Lighting
02/02/2010 Blue/Blue/Red Empire State Building Run-Up
01/25/2010 - 02/01/2010 White/White/White ESB Lighting
01/22/2010 - 01/24/2010 Green/White/Green New York Jets, AFC Championship Against the Indianapolis Colts
01/19/2010 - 01/21/2010 White/White/White ESB Lighting
01/18/2010 Red/Black/Green Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
01/15/2010 - 01/17/2010 Green/White/Green New York Jets, Divisional Playoff Game Against the San Diego Chargers
01/08/2010 - 01/14/2010 White/White/White ESB Lighting
01/07/2010 Blue/Blue/Blue NASDAQ, 10th Anniversary
12/23/2009 - 01/06/2010 Red/Green/Green Christmas
12/21/2009 - 12/22/2009 White/White/White ESB Lighting
12/11/2009 - 12/20/2009 Blue/White/Blue Chanukah
12/07/2009 - 12/10/2009 White/White/White ESB Lighting
12/04/2009 - 12/06/2009 Blue/Blue/Blue Cambridge in America, Cambridge University's 800th Anniversary
11/30/2009 - 12/03/2009 White/White/White ESB Lighting
11/25/2009 - 11/29/2009 Red/Orange/Yellow Thanksgiving
11/24/2009 Blue/White/Yellow NASCAR, 4th Consecutive NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship Win for Jimmie Johnson
11/23/2009 White/White/White ESB Lighting
11/20/2009 - 11/22/2009 Orange/Blue/Blue Madison Square Boys & Girls Club, 125th Anniversary
11/18/2009 - 11/19/2009 White/White/White ESB Lighting
11/17/2009 Green/White/Red Opening Night of the Radio City Christmas Spectacular
11/16/2009 White/White/White ESB Lighting
11/14/2009 - 11/15/2009 Blue/Blue/White Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, World Diabetes Day
11/13/2009 Purple/Purple/White March of Dimes Foundation, Prematurity Awareness Day
11/12/2009 White/White/White ESB Lighting
11/11/2009 Red/White/Blue Veteran's Day
11/10/2009 White/White/White ESB Lighting
11/09/2009 Red/Red/Red Big Apple Circus, Opening Night Gala
11/05/2009 - 11/08/2009 Blue/White/Blue New York Yankees 2009 World Series Champions
11/04/2009 Blue/White/Blue New York Yankees in 2009 World Series (Game #6 at home vs. Philadelphia Phillies)
11/03/2009 Red/White/Blue Election Day
11/02/2009 Blue/Yellow/White The Cooper Union, 150th Anniversary
11/01/2009 Orange/White/Blue New York Road Runners, 2009 ING New York City Marathon
10/30/2009 - 10/31/2009 Orange/Black/White Halloween
10/29/2009 White/White/White ESB Lighting
10/28/2009 Purple/Blue/Yellow Only Make Believe, 10th Anniversary and Annual Gala
10/26/2009 - 10/27/2009 White/White/White ESB Lighting
10/23/2009 - 10/25/2009 Purple/Purple/White Alzheimer's Association, 2009 Memory Walk
10/22/2009 Yellow/Yellow/Yellow Afterschool Alliance – Lights on Afterschool
10/21/2009 Red/Red/Red Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, 50th Birthday
10/20/2009 Purple/Red/Red Gabrielle's Angel Foundation, Gabrielle’s Gala
10/19/2009 Psychedelic Tie-Dye Colors New York Historical Society's Benefit for Grateful Dead Exhibition and Archive
10/16/2009 - 10/18/2009 Yellow/Yellow/Yellow El Museo del Barrio, Grand Re-Opening
10/15/2009 White/White/White ESB Lighting
10/14/2009 Purple/Purple/White New York State Coalition Against Domestic Violence, Domestic Violence Awareness Month
10/13/2009 White/White/White ESB Lighting
10/09/2009 - 10/12/2009 Red/White/Green Columbus Day
10/08/2009 Orange/Orange/White Jumpstart, Read for the Record
10/05/2009 - 10/07/2009 White/White/White ESB Lighting
10/02/2009 - 10/04/2009 Blue/Blue/White American Academy of Dramatic Arts, 125th Anniversary
09/30/2009 - 10/01/2009 Red/Yellow/Red 60th Anniversary of the People’s Republic of China
09/25/2009 - 09/29/2009 White/White/White ESB Lighting
09/24/2009 Red/Red/Red The Wizard of Oz 70th Anniversary and the Ruby Slipper Collection
09/21/2009 - 09/23/2009 White/White/White ESB Lighting
09/20/2009 Green/Green/Green Eid-al-Fitr
09/18/2009 - 09/19/2009 Yellow/Red/Black 52nd Annual Steuben Day Parade
09/17/2009 White/White/White ESB Lighting
09/16/2009 Purple/Yellow/White FFAWN Foundation, GUCCI for FFAWN Day
09/15/2009 Blue/Blue/Blue United Nations General Assembly
09/12/2009 - 09/14/2009 Yellow/Yellow/Yellow United States Tennis Association, US Open Finals Weekend
09/11/2009 Red/White/Blue In Memory of September 11
09/10/2009 Orange/Orange/White Food Bank New York City, NYC Goes Orange
09/09/2009 Pink/Pink/White Susan G. Komen for the Cure, City in Pink
09/08/2009 Orange/Orange/Orange 400th Anniversary of Henry Hudson's Journey on the Hudson River
09/04/2009 - 09/07/2009 Red/White/Blue Labor Day
09/01/2009 - 09/03/2009 White/White/White ESB Lighting
08/31/2009 Yellow/Yellow/Yellow United States Tennis Association, US Open Opening Night
08/17/2009 - 08/30/2009 White/White/White ESB Lighting
08/14/2009 - 08/16/2009 Green/White/Orange Federation of Indian Associations, 29th Annual India Day Parade
08/06/2009 - 08/13/2009 White/White/White ESB Lighting
07/14/2009 Blue/Yellow/White National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), Centennial Anniversary
07/06/2009 - 07/13/2009 White/White/White ESB Lighting
07/02/2009 - 07/05/2009 Red/White/Blue Independence Day
06/30/2009 - 07/01/2009 White/White/White ESB Lighting
06/29/2009 Colors TBD Mets and Yankees "Subway Series", Team colors of Subway Series winner
06/26/2009 - 06/28/2009 Lavender/Lavender/White Heritage of Pride, NYC Pride 2009
06/18/2009 - 06/25/2009 White/White/White ESB Lighting
06/17/2009 Red/White/Blue United States Golf Association, U.S. Open
06/16/2009 White/White/White ESB Lighting
06/15/2009 Colors TBD Mets and Yankees "Subway Series", Team colors of Subway Series winner
06/12/2009 - 06/14/2009 Blue/Green/Yellow Caribbean Tourism Development Company, Caribbean Week 2009
06/09/2009 - 06/11/2009 White/White/White ESB Lighting
06/08/2009 Blue/Blue/Blue National Marine Sanctuary Foundation, United Nations World Ocean Day
06/05/2009 - 06/07/2009 Green/Green/Green Asia Society, Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM), and New York University Center for Dialogues - Muslim Voices: Arts & Ideas
06/04/2009 Green/White/Green New York Racing Association, Belmont Stakes
06/01/2009 - 06/03/2009 White/White/White ESB Lighting
05/29/2009 - 05/31/2009 Blue/White/Blue Israel Tribute Committee, Salute to Israel Parade
05/27/2009 - 05/28/2009 White/White/White ESB Lighting
05/21/2009 - 05/26/2009 Red/White/Blue Fleet Week/Memorial Day
05/20/2009 Blue/White/Blue Columbia University, 2009 Commencement
05/18/2009 - 05/19/2009 White/White/White ESB Lighting
05/15/2009 - 05/17/2009 Yellow/White/Blue Fire Department of New York, National EMS Week
05/14/2009 Red/Red/Red 2009 AIDS Walk New York
05/13/2009 White/White/White ESB Lighting
05/12/2009 Purple/Purple/White New York University, 2009 Commencement
05/11/2009 Purple/Orange/White Lincoln Center, 50th Anniversary
05/09/2009 - 05/10/2009 Blue/Yellow/Blue European Union, E.U. Day
05/08/2009 Blue/Blue/Blue Police Memorial Week Kick-Off
04/24/2009 - 05/07/2009 White/White/White ESB Lighting
04/23/2009 Green/Green/Green Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 25th Anniversary
04/22/2009 Green/Green/Green Earth Day and Nickelodeon "Power Down" (Lights off for 60 seconds at 9 p.m.)
04/17/2009 - 04/21/2009 White/White/White ESB Lighting
04/16/2009 Blue/White/Blue New York Yankees, Opening Day
04/14/2009 - 04/15/2009 White/White/White ESB Lighting
04/13/2009 Blue/Orange/Blue New York Mets, Opening Night
04/09/2009 - 04/12/2009 Green/Pink/Yellow Easter
04/08/2009 White/White/White ESB Lighting
04/07/2009 Orange/Orange/White American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), ASPCA Day - Go Orange for Animals
04/06/2009 Green/Green/Green Empire State Building Sustainability
03/31/2009 - 04/05/2009 White/White/White ESB Lighting
03/30/2009 Green/Green/Green National Resources Defense Council, 11th Annual Forces for Nature Benefit
03/29/2009 White/White/White ESB Lighting
03/28/2009 Lights off from
8:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.
World Wildlife Fund, Earth Hour 2009
03/25/2009 - 03/27/2009 White/White/White ESB Lighting
03/24/2009 White/Red/White Major League Baseball, World Baseball Classic Champion - Japan
03/18/2009 - 03/23/2009 White/White/White ESB Lighting
03/17/2009 Green/Green/Green New York City St. Patrick's Day Parade, St. Patrick's Day
03/06/2009 - 03/16/2009 White/White/White ESB Lighting
NOTE:  Colors are listed from bottom to top as they appear from the street.
            Tower lights go off every night at 2:00 AM.

During spring and fall bird migration seasons and particularly on cloudy, humid and/or foggy nights, when large numbers of birds are seen flying near the building, the tower lights are turned off. Observatory personnel on the 86th floor outdoor deck notify the engineers. The birds are attracted by the lights and there is a danger they will fly into the building and be killed.

 

 


Purchase Tickets Online Now!
Purchase Tickets Online Now!
  Purchase your tickets online, it's easy and convenient. You can either print your tickets online or have them delivered right to your door step.

ESB Lighting Partner
ESB Lighting Partner
  This is a special opportunity to partner with the world’s most famous office building and its world famous tower lights.

Security & Visiting Information
Security & Visiting Information
  If you are planning to visit the ESB, please take a moment to read our security and visitor instructions.

Take the ESB Tour
Take the ESB Tour
  Can't make it to New York? See the Empire State Building inside and out through the ESB Launch Tour.

Did You Know?


There are roughly 10 million bricks and 200,000 cubic feet of Indiana limestone in the Empire State Building.


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The Empire State Building is located at 350 Fifth Avenue, between 33rd and 34th Streets, in midtown Manhattan.
New York, NY 10118


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