Empire State Building in popular culture
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The Empire State Building is a 102-story skyscraper on Fifth Avenue between West 33rd and 34th Streets in Midtown,
Manhattan Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...
,
New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...
. It has a roof height of 1,250 feet (381 m), and with its antenna included, it stands a total of tall. The Empire State Building stood as the world's tallest building for nearly 40 years, from its completion in early 1931 until the
topping out In building construction, topping out (sometimes referred to as topping off) is a builders' rite traditionally held when the last beam (or its equivalent) is placed atop a structure during its construction. Nowadays, the ceremony is often parlaye ...
of the original
World Trade Center World Trade Centers are sites recognized by the World Trade Centers Association. World Trade Center may refer to: Buildings * List of World Trade Centers * World Trade Center (2001–present), a building complex that includes five skyscrapers, a ...
's North Tower in late 1970. It has been featured in numerous films, TV shows, songs, video games, books, photographs, and artwork.


Film

* Perhaps the most famous popular culture representation of the building is in ''
King Kong King Kong is a fictional giant monster resembling a gorilla, who has appeared in various media since 1933. He has been dubbed The Eighth Wonder of the World, a phrase commonly used within the franchise. His first appearance was in the novelizat ...
'' (1933), in which the title character, a giant ape, climbs to the top to escape his captors but falls to his death after being attacked by military biplanes. In 1983, for the film's fiftieth anniversary, a huge tall inflatable Kong was placed on the building mast above the observation deck by artist Robert Vicino. In 2005, Peter Jackson's remake of ''
King Kong King Kong is a fictional giant monster resembling a gorilla, who has appeared in various media since 1933. He has been dubbed The Eighth Wonder of the World, a phrase commonly used within the franchise. His first appearance was in the novelizat ...
'' was released, set in 1930s New York City, including a final showdown between Kong and biplanes atop a greatly detailed Empire State Building. (The 1976 remake of ''
King Kong King Kong is a fictional giant monster resembling a gorilla, who has appeared in various media since 1933. He has been dubbed The Eighth Wonder of the World, a phrase commonly used within the franchise. His first appearance was in the novelizat ...
'' was set in a contemporary New York City and held its climactic scene on the twin towers of the
World Trade Center World Trade Centers are sites recognized by the World Trade Centers Association. World Trade Center may refer to: Buildings * List of World Trade Centers * World Trade Center (2001–present), a building complex that includes five skyscrapers, a ...
.) The Empire State Building and King Kong are both featured in the
virtual reality Virtual reality (VR) is a simulated experience that employs pose tracking and 3D near-eye displays to give the user an immersive feel of a virtual world. Applications of virtual reality include entertainment (particularly video games), e ...
world called the ''Oasis'' in Steven Spielberg's 2018 science fiction film ''
Ready Player One ''Ready Player One'' is a 2011 science fiction novel, and the debut novel of American author Ernest Cline. The story, set in a dystopia in 2045, follows protagonist Wade Watts on his search for an Easter egg in a worldwide virtual reality gam ...
''. * In the disaster movie ''
Deluge A deluge is a large downpour of rain, often a flood. The Deluge refers to the flood narrative in the Biblical book of Genesis. Deluge may also refer to: History *Deluge (history), the Swedish and Russian invasion of the Polish-Lithuanian Com ...
'' (1933), the Empire State Building is one of several buildings that collapse during the earthquake that hits New York. * '' Love Affair'' (1939) involves a couple who plan to meet atop the Empire State Building, a rendezvous that is prevented by an automobile accident. The film was remade in 1957 (as ''
An Affair to Remember ''An Affair to Remember'' is a 1957 American romance film directed by Leo McCarey and starring Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr. Filmed in CinemaScope, it was distributed by 20th Century Fox. It is considered among the most romantic films of all ti ...
'') and in 1994 (again as '' Love Affair''.) * ''
Sleepless in Seattle ''Sleepless in Seattle'' is a 1993 American romantic comedy-drama film directed by Nora Ephron, from a screenplay she wrote with David S. Ward and Jeff Arch. Starring Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan, the film follows a journalist (Ryan) who, despite ...
'' (1993), a romantic comedy partially inspired by ''An Affair to Remember'', climaxes with scenes in the Empire State Building's lobby and observatory. The 2013 drama film '' Burning Blue'' also features a romantic scene in which the Empire State Building is viewed from a neighboring building's rooftop when the lights come on at sunset. * In the '' Looney Tunes'' cartoon "Much Ado About Nutting", a squirrel has so much difficulty opening a coconut he carries it to the Empire State Building's observation deck and tosses it over the edge. While the street is damaged by the impact, the coconut remains intact. * In the 1946 ''Looney Tunes'' cartoon '' Baseball Bugs'',
Bugs Bunny Bugs Bunny is an animated cartoon character created in the late 1930s by Warner Bros. Cartoons, Leon Schlesinger Productions (later Warner Bros. Cartoons) and Voice acting, voiced originally by Mel Blanc. Bugs is best known for his starring role ...
is pitching in the Polo Grounds against the Gashouse Gorillas. In the bottom of the ninth, with two outs and Bugs protecting a one run lead, the opposition hits the ball out of the park for an apparent game-winning two-run homer. Bugs pursues the ball through New York City. The chase culminates at the "Umpire State Building". Bugs ascends to the top of the building by elevator and catches the ball for the third out, winning the game. * In the ''
Tom and Jerry ''Tom and Jerry'' is an American Animated cartoon, animated media franchise and series of comedy short films created in 1940 by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera. Best known for its 161 theatrical short films by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, the series c ...
'' cartoon '' Mouse in Manhattan'', Jerry walks by and views the Empire State Building, along with other landmarks, including the Statue of Atlas at
Rockefeller Center Rockefeller Center is a large complex consisting of 19 commercial buildings covering between 48th Street and 51st Street in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. The 14 original Art Deco buildings, commissioned by the Rockefeller family, span th ...
and Grand Central Terminal. *
Andy Warhol Andy Warhol (; born Andrew Warhola Jr.; August 6, 1928 – February 22, 1987) was an American visual artist, film director, and producer who was a leading figure in the Art movement, visual art movement known as pop art. His works explore th ...
's 1964 silent film ''
Empire An empire is a "political unit" made up of several territories and peoples, "usually created by conquest, and divided between a dominant center and subordinate peripheries". The center of the empire (sometimes referred to as the metropole) ex ...
'' is one continuous, eight-hour black-and-white shot of the Empire State Building at night. In 2004, the
National Film Registry The National Film Registry (NFR) is the United States National Film Preservation Board's (NFPB) collection of films selected for preservation, each selected for its historical, cultural and aesthetic contributions since the NFPB’s inception ...
deemed its cultural significance worthy of preservation in the
Library of Congress The Library of Congress (LOC) is the research library that officially serves the United States Congress and is the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It is the oldest federal cultural institution in the country. The library ...
. * In '' Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief'' (2010), Mount Olympus is located over the Empire State Building, and there is a special elevator in the building to the "600th floor", which is supposed to be Olympus, just like in the
book series A book series is a sequence of books having certain characteristics in common that are formally identified together as a group. Book series can be organized in different ways, such as written by the same author, or marketed as a group by their pub ...
. * The building is chosen as Ground Zero for the target of a hydrogen bomb that is dropped on New York in ''
Fail-Safe In engineering, a fail-safe is a design feature or practice that in the event of a specific type of failure, inherently responds in a way that will cause minimal or no harm to other equipment, to the environment or to people. Unlike inherent safe ...
'' (1964). * Both Zero Mostel and
Gene Wilder Jerome Silberman (June 11, 1933 – August 29, 2016), known professionally as Gene Wilder, was an American actor, comedian, writer and filmmaker. He is known mainly for his comedic roles, but also for his portrayal of Willy Wonka in ''Willy Won ...
go to the Observation Deck of the building in the original
Mel Brooks Mel Brooks (born Melvin James Kaminsky; June 28, 1926) is an American actor, comedian and filmmaker. With a career spanning over seven decades, he is known as a writer and director of a variety of successful broad farces and parodies. He began ...
film '' The Producers''. * In ''
The Muppets Take Manhattan ''The Muppets Take Manhattan'' is a 1984 American musical comedy drama film directed by Frank Oz. It is the third theatrical film in ''The Muppets'' franchise. In addition to the Muppet performance, the film features special appearances by Ar ...
'' (1984), after all of his friends have left the city,
Kermit the Frog Kermit the Frog is a Muppet character created and originally performed by Jim Henson. Introduced in 1955, Kermit serves as the everyman protagonist of numerous Muppet productions, most notably ''Sesame Street'' and ''The Muppet Show'', as well ...
rides to the top of the building, and staring out from the observation deck, defiantly rants that he's not giving up on their
Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...
dream. Miss Piggy, his last friend in town, hears Kermit's closing line from the street: ''"Y'hear that, New York? The Frog is staying!"'' * In '' One Fine Day'' (1996) the Empire State Building can be spotted in the background. * In the 1998 disaster television movie ''
Earthquake in New York ''Earthquake in New York'' is an American television movie that aired on Fox Family Channel on Sunday October 11, 1998 from 8:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. ET. The film's tagline was "In a city torn apart, a family comes together". in this film ...
'', during the earthquake the Empire State Building begins to crack and the windows begin to shatter, parts of the building collapse and fall but the building remains standing once the earthquake finishes. * The Empire State Building has an appearance in the 1999 movie, '' Aftershock: Earthquake in New York''. It can be seen when a news reporter in a helicopter describes the damage. The reporter says, "Empire State Building looks good..." it can be seen again when Mayor Bruce Lincoln is making a speech, and lastly the building can be seen in the background when the Statue of Liberty is shown to be under reconstruction. On the film's poster, the building is seen to have collapsed and the top of the building and its damaged antenna are resting on a nearby skyscraper, but in the actual movie it remains standing. * In '' Home Alone 2: Lost in New York'' (1992), the building is seen many times. * In the 1996 film '' Independence Day'', the Empire State Building is destroyed in an explosion caused by a
UFO An unidentified flying object (UFO), more recently renamed by US officials as a UAP (unidentified aerial phenomenon), is any perceived aerial phenomenon that cannot be immediately identified or explained. On investigation, most UFOs are id ...
which destroys much of the city. * The Empire State Building can be seen in the 1998 disaster movie ''
Armageddon According to the Book of Revelation in the New Testament of the Christian Bible, Armageddon (, from grc, Ἁρμαγεδών ''Harmagedōn'', Late Latin: , from Hebrew: ''Har Məgīddō'') is the prophesied location of a gathering of armies ...
'', when a meteor shower hits New York. It can be spotted in some scenes such as when a meteor is heading toward the Chrysler Building the Empire State Buildings mooring mast can be seen. * The building is damaged after the seas swamp New York City, in the 1998 film '' Deep Impact''. * The Empire State Building can be seen three times in the 1999 drama movie ''
Cruel Intentions ''Cruel Intentions'' is a 1999 American teen romantic drama film written and directed by Roger Kumble and starring Sarah Michelle Gellar, Ryan Phillippe, Reese Witherspoon, and Selma Blair. The film is a modern retelling of Pierre Choderlos d ...
''. The first time it is seen is when Sebastian is driving toward Manhattan, the second time it is seen is when Sebastian makes a phone call on the Queensboro bridge, and the third time it is seen is when Annette drives away from Manhattan with the midtown Manhattan skyline in the background. *In the 2001 movie ''
Zoolander ''Zoolander'' is a 2001 American comedy film directed by and starring Ben Stiller. The film contains elements from a pair of short films directed by Russell Bates and written by Drake Sather and Stiller for the '' VH1 Fashion Awards'' television ...
'', The Empire State Building can be seen in most scenes. Such as the funeral scene, the Chrysler Building, United Nations Building, Empire State Building, and MetLife building can be seen in the background. It can also be seen in the background when the "Mugato" headquarters is shown. * In the ending of the 2002 movie ''
Gangs of New York ''Gangs of New York'' is a 2002 American epic historical drama film directed by Martin Scorsese and written by Jay Cocks, Steven Zaillian and Kenneth Lonergan, based on Herbert Asbury's 1927 book '' The Gangs of New York''. The film stars Le ...
'', when gravestones are shown to be under the Brooklyn Bridge in a time lapse. The Empire State Building can be seen to the far right of the screen. * In ''
The Time Machine ''The Time Machine'' is a science fiction novella by H. G. Wells, published in 1895. The work is generally credited with the popularization of the concept of time travel by using a vehicle or device to travel purposely and selectively for ...
'' (2002), the Empire State Building is still standing in the year 2030, but dwarfed by several larger skyscrapers around it. It is not visible in later scenes set in a post-apocalyptic New York. * The building can be seen in the 2002 comedy movie, ''
Mr. Deeds ''Mr. Deeds'' is a 2002 American comedy film directed by Steven Brill, written by Tim Herlihy, and starring Adam Sandler and Winona Ryder with Peter Gallagher, Jared Harris, Allen Covert, Erick Avari, and John Turturro in supporting roles. It w ...
''. It can be seen when the Midtown Manhattan skyline is shown when the time turns from night to morning. It can be seen again when Deed is playing Tennis with Chuck, a part of the Midtown Manhattan skyline can be clearly seen in the background. * The building is seen in the 2003 film ''
Elf An elf () is a type of humanoid supernatural being in Germanic mythology and folklore. Elves appear especially in North Germanic mythology. They are subsequently mentioned in Snorri Sturluson's Icelandic Prose Edda. He distinguishes "ligh ...
'' and serves as the workplace of Buddy the Elf's father. Several interior shots of the building can be seen. In one scene in which Buddy rides the elevator with an unknown man, Buddy pushes all of the floor destination buttons to resemble a Christmas tree. Also, despite the building having 102 floors in real life, the elevator Buddy is riding on had 79 floor buttons, thus implying that the building is 79 stories tall. * In the 2003 action movie '' Daredevil'', the Empire State Building can be seen when Kingpin's (the villain) tower is shown and it can be seen out the window when Daredevil is face to face with Kingpin. It can also be seen in the background when Daredevil is on the top of a church. * The Empire State Building is seen in most ''Spider-Man'' films since it mostly takes place in New York. In '' Spider-Man'' (2002) when Spider-Man is fighting the Green Goblin by the Queensboro Bridge the building can be spotted next to the Chrysler Building. It can also be seen in ''
Spider-Man 2 ''Spider-Man 2'' is a 2004 American superhero film directed by Sam Raimi and written by Alvin Sargent from a story by Alfred Gough, Miles Millar and Michael Chabon. Based on the fictional Marvel Comics character of the same name, it is the ...
'' (2004) and '' Spider-Man 3'' (2007) when a building is hit by a crane the Empire State Building can be spotted in the distance. * In ''
Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow ''Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow'', often shortened to ''Sky Captain'', is a 2004 science fiction action- adventure film written and directed by Kerry Conran in his directorial debut, and produced by Jon Avnet, Sadie Frost, Jude Law an ...
'' (2004), in an alternate 1939, the top of the building serves its original purpose of being a docking station for dirigibles, and the ''Hindenburg III'' docks at it on its maiden voyage. * In the 2004 mockumentery film '' CSA: The Confederate States of America'', the Empire State Building appears in the film in a news broadcast. The building is also mentioned on the film's website. * In the 2005 disaster movie '' End Day'', a fictional scientist travels from London to New York. At one point in the film the camera shows the Empire State Building and a police helicopter flying in front of it. * In the 2006 movie '' Click'', the building can be seen in numerous shots, specifically through an office window and other parts of the movie. *In the 2006 movie, ''
The Hoax ''The Hoax'' is a 2006 American comedy-drama film starring Richard Gere, directed by Swedish filmmaker Lasse Hallström. The screenplay by William Wheeler is based on the book of the same title by Clifford Irving. It recounts Irving's elaborate ...
'', the Empire State Building can be seen in between the
Chrysler Building The Chrysler Building is an Art Deco skyscraper on the East Side of Manhattan in New York City, at the intersection of 42nd Street and Lexington Avenue in Midtown Manhattan. At , it is the tallest brick building in the world with a steel fra ...
and the
MetLife Building The MetLife Building (also 200 Park Avenue and formerly the Pan Am Building) is a skyscraper at Park Avenue and 45th Street, north of Grand Central Terminal, in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City. Designed in the Internation ...
when a helicopter is landing on top of a building. * The building is seen in the background in '' Enchanted'' (2007). * Many films have opened with the Empire State Building, such as ''
West Side Story ''West Side Story'' is a musical conceived by Jerome Robbins with music by Leonard Bernstein, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, and a book by Arthur Laurents. Inspired by William Shakespeare's play '' Romeo and Juliet'', the story is set in the mid ...
'' (1961), ''
Honey Honey is a sweet and viscous substance made by several bees, the best-known of which are honey bees. Honey is made and stored to nourish bee colonies. Bees produce honey by gathering and then refining the sugary secretions of plants (primar ...
'' (2003), '' The Taking of Pelham 123'' (2009), ''
Step Up 3D ''Step Up 3D'' (also known as ''Step Up 3'') is a 2010 American 3D dance film directed by Jon M. Chu and written by Amy Andelson and Emily Meyer. It serves as a sequel to 2008's '' Step Up 2: The Streets'' and the third installment in the ''St ...
'', ''
The Other Guys ''The Other Guys'' is a 2010 American buddy cop action comedy film directed by Adam McKay, who co-wrote it with Chris Henchy. It stars Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg with Eva Mendes, Michael Keaton, Steve Coogan, Ray Stevenson, Samuel L. J ...
'' (both 2010), '' The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones, A Case Of You'' (both 2013), ''
Left Behind ''Left Behind'' is a multimedia franchise that started with a series of 16 bestselling religious novels by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins. It focuses on a seven-year conflict between the Tribulation Force, an underground network of converts, a ...
'' (2014), ''
Manhattan Night ''Manhattan Night'' is a 2016 American crime thriller film written and directed by Brian DeCubellis. It is based on the 1996 novel ''Manhattan Nocturne'' by Colin Harrison. The film stars Adrien Brody, Yvonne Strahovski, Jennifer Beals and Campbe ...
'' (2016), and ''
Otherhood ''Otherhood'' is a 2019 American comedy film, directed by Cindy Chupack, from a screenplay by Chupack and Mark Andrus. It is based upon the 2008 novel ''Whatever Makes You Happy'' by William Sutcliffe, and follows three suburban mothers who sho ...
'' (2019). * In the film '' How to Lose Friends & Alienate People'' (2008), the Empire State Building can be seen in parts of the movies specifically can be seen throughout the window. *In the 2008 romantic comedy drama movie '' Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist'', the Empire State Building can be seen in many parts of the movie. Such as when Nick is driving toward Manhattan, the midtown Manhattan skyline is shown. It is seen again in a shot of the Manhattan skyline shown from the
George Washington Bridge The George Washington Bridge is a double-decked suspension bridge spanning the Hudson River, connecting Fort Lee, New Jersey, with Manhattan in New York City. The bridge is named after George Washington, the first president of the United S ...
. Lastly it is seen in the background at night when Nick and Tris are in a car where she tries to seduce him and dances in front of the car. * The 2008 movie ''
Meet Dave ''Meet Dave'' is a 2008 American science fiction comedy film directed by Brian Robbins and written by Bill Corbett and Rob Greenberg. It stars Eddie Murphy in the title role, Elizabeth Banks, Gabrielle Union, Ed Helms, Scott Caan and Kevin Hart ...
'', a spaceship shaped like a human lands on Liberty Island and walks around Manhattan. In a scene where Dave is coming out the subway the Empire State Building can be seen in the background. * In the 2009 movie ''
Watchmen ''Watchmen'' is an American comic book maxiseries by the British creative team of writer Alan Moore, artist Dave Gibbons and colorist John Higgins. It was published monthly by DC Comics in 1986 and 1987 before being collected in a single-vo ...
'', the building can be spotted in most parts. It can be seen through an office window with the World Trade Center behind it. * In the 2009 film '' Knowing'', the building is destroyed by a
solar flare A solar flare is an intense localized eruption of electromagnetic radiation in the Sun's atmosphere. Flares occur in active regions and are often, but not always, accompanied by coronal mass ejections, solar particle events, and other sol ...
along with the rest of the world at the end of the film. * In the Disney movie ''
The Sorcerer's Apprentice "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" (german: "Der Zauberlehrling", link=no, italic=no) is a poem by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe written in 1797. The poem is a ballad in 14 stanzas. Story The poem begins as an old sorcerer departs his workshop, leaving ...
'' (2010), the Empire State Building can be seen in the background when one of the movies characters walks on one of the Chrysler Building's gargoyle eagles. * In '' The Divide'' (2011), the building is destroyed by a nuclear bomb detonated on New York. It was heavily featured on posters promoting the film. * In the 2011 movie ''
The Smurfs ''The Smurfs'' (french: Les Schtroumpfs; nl, De Smurfen) is a Belgian comic franchise centered on a fictional colony of small, blue, humanoid creatures who live in mushroom-shaped houses in the forest. ''The Smurfs'' was first created and int ...
'', in a scene where Gargamel escapes from prison the Manhattan skyline can be seen in the background including the Empire State Building. * The Empire State Building can be seen many times in the 2011 comedy movie '' Mr. Popper's Penguins''. It can be seen in the background when Tom Popper is on the phone in
Madison Square Park Madison Square is a public square formed by the intersection of Fifth Avenue and Broadway at 23rd Street in the New York City borough of Manhattan. The square was named for Founding Father James Madison, fourth President of the United States ...
. It can be seen again through the window when Tom is at his office in the Bank of America Tower. * The Empire State Building can be seen in the 2012 movie ''
The Dark Knight Rises ''The Dark Knight Rises'' is a 2012 superhero film directed by Christopher Nolan, who co-wrote the screenplay with his brother Jonathan Nolan, and the story with David S. Goyer. The film is based on the DC Comics character Batman, it is th ...
'' as a skyscraper in the Gotham City skyline. * In the romance comedy ''
Lola Versus ''Lola Versus'' is a 2012 American romantic comedy film directed by Daryl Wein, who co-wrote the screenplay with his partner Zoe Lister-Jones. The film stars Greta Gerwig, Joel Kinnaman, Lister-Jones, Bill Pullman and Debra Winger. Plot On her 29 ...
'' (2012), when Lola talks to her friends in
Brooklyn Bridge Park Brooklyn Bridge Park is an park on the Brooklyn side of the East River in New York City. Designed by landscape architecture firm Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates, the park is located on a plot of land from Atlantic Avenue in the south, und ...
, the Empire State Building can be seen sticking out in the background. *The Empire State Building can be seen under construction in the 2013 movie ''
The Great Gatsby ''The Great Gatsby'' is a 1925 novel by American writer F. Scott Fitzgerald. Set in the Jazz Age on Long Island, near New York City, the novel depicts first-person narrator Nick Carraway's interactions with mysterious millionaire Jay Gatsby ...
''. Although the Empire State Building wasn't completed until 1931, the movie takes place in the 1920s. * In ''
Superman II ''Superman II'' is a 1980 superhero film directed by Richard Lester and written by Mario Puzo and David and Leslie Newman from a story by Puzo based on the DC Comics character Superman. It is the second installment in the ''Superman'' film se ...
'' (1980), Ursa ( Sarah Douglas) uses a flagpole to knock Superman (
Christopher Reeve Christopher D'Olier Reeve (September 25, 1952 – October 10, 2004) was an American actor, best known for playing the title character in the film '' Superman'' (1978) and three sequels. Born in New York City and raised in Princeton, New Jersey ...
) into the tower of the building, knocking off its radio antenna, which falls into the street below. Superman manages to catch it before it hits the ground and re-attaches it to the building. * In the 2013 comedy movie '' Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues'', when Ron Burgundy and his friends use their RV to get to Manhattan, the midtown manhattan skyline can be seen. In another part of the movie when Ron and his friends are attacked by other news teams, the Empire State Building can be seen when a
bomber plane A bomber is a military combat aircraft designed to attack ground and naval targets by dropping air-to-ground weaponry (such as bombs), launching torpedoes, or deploying air-launched cruise missiles. The first use of bombs dropped from an aircr ...
attacks. The Empire State Building can also be seen along with the
Chrysler Building The Chrysler Building is an Art Deco skyscraper on the East Side of Manhattan in New York City, at the intersection of 42nd Street and Lexington Avenue in Midtown Manhattan. At , it is the tallest brick building in the world with a steel fra ...
in the movie's poster. * In the 2014 movie ''
Love Is Strange "Love Is Strange" is a crossover hit by American rhythm and blues duet Mickey & Sylvia, which was released in late November 1956 by the Groove record label. The song was based on a guitar riff by Jody Williams and was written by Bo Diddley ...
'', when Ben is painting on a roof of a building the Midtown Manhattan Skyline can be clearly seen. * The Empire State Building can be seen in the 2014 drama and romance movie '' Amira & Sam''. * In the action superhero movie, '' X-Men: Days of Future Past'' (2014), the Empire State Building can be seen in the opening of the movie. The building is seen to have been damaged and has many gaping holes, along with other buildings in midtown. * In the 2014 drama romance movie '' Chinese Puzzle'', the Empire State Building can be seen multiple times in the film. It can be seen when Xavier is in a car, and the midtown skyline is shown through the window. The upper part of the Empire State Building can be seen in the background along with the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company Tower when Xavier is standing in the street. Lastly, it can be seen when Xavier is looking out the window at the midtown Manhattan skyline. * The Empire State Building can be seen in the 2014 movie '' 5 Flights Up''. * In the 2014 movie '' A Most Violent Year'', the building can be seen in numerous shots. Specifically when the main characters are looking at the Manhattan skyline. * In the 2014 movie '' Sharknado 2'', a tornado filled with sharks enter Manhattan. The two tornadoes collide at the Empire State Building. The movie's characters go to the Empire State Buildings observation deck to set of an electrocution to get rid of the tornadoes. In another part of the movie, one character rides a shark while it falls from the sky and it lands on the Empire State Buildings spire. * In a scene in the 2014 movie, ''
Shelter Shelter is a small building giving temporary protection from bad weather or danger. Shelter may also refer to: Places * Port Shelter, Hong Kong * Shelter Bay (disambiguation), various locations * Shelter Cove (disambiguation), various locatio ...
'', Tahir and Hannah talk in an apartment with the Empire State Building and
Chrysler Building The Chrysler Building is an Art Deco skyscraper on the East Side of Manhattan in New York City, at the intersection of 42nd Street and Lexington Avenue in Midtown Manhattan. At , it is the tallest brick building in the world with a steel fra ...
seen from the window. Hannah tells Tahir that if he concentrates he can change the lights on the Empire State Building with his mind. Eventually Tahir causes the lights to turn red out of anger. * In the drama comedy movie ''
The Angriest Man in Brooklyn ''The Angriest Man in Brooklyn'' is a 2014 American comedy-drama film directed by Phil Alden Robinson and starring Robin Williams, Mila Kunis, Peter Dinklage, James Earl Jones, and Melissa Leo. It is a remake of the 1997 Israeli film ''The 92 Mi ...
'' (2014), when Sharon apologizes to Henry on the Brooklyn Bridge, the Empire State Building can be seen in the background at one point in the scene. * The Empire State Building can be seen in multiple parts of the 2014 movie '' Manhattan Romance''. For example, it can be seen when Tom is walking down 6th Avenue at night. * In the 2015 comedy movie ''
Ted 2 ''Ted 2'' (stylized as ted2) is a 2015 American comedy film directed by Seth MacFarlane and written by MacFarlane, Alec Sulkin, and Wellesley Wild. The second installment in the ''Ted'' franchise, it serves as a sequel to the 2012 film of the ...
'', John, Tami, and Ted go to New York to find an attorney. When they speak in the attorney's office the Empire State Building can be seen out the window * The Empire State Building can be seen in the background along with the rest of the Midtown skyline in the 2015 movie, '' The Walk''. * In the 2016 film '' Nine Lives'', in some parts of the movie the building can be spotted in the background. * In '' The 5th Wave'' (2016), the building happens to survive a massive tsunami that hits Manhattan during the second wave of an alien invasion. * The Empire State Building can be seen many times in the 2016 movie ''
Pee-wee's Big Holiday ''Pee-wee's Big Holiday'' is a 2016 American adventure comedy film directed by John Lee and written by Paul Reubens and Paul Rust. The film stars Reubens as Pee-wee Herman and Joe Manganiello as himself. The film was released on March 18, 2016, ...
''. It can be seen when Pee-wee is talking to Marvin, a poster of New York can be seen in the background with the Statue of Liberty, Chrysler Building, and Empire State Building. It can be seen again when Pee-wee is in Manhattan looking around in his music number, and in one point of the song he sings about the Empire State Building. * The Empire State Building can be seen in the 2016 romance/comedy ''
How to Be Single ''How to Be Single'' is a 2016 American romantic comedy film directed by Christian Ditter and written by Abby Kohn, Marc Silverstein and Dana Fox, based on the novel of the same name by Liz Tuccillo. It stars Dakota Johnson, Rebel Wilson, Damon ...
''. When the characters are in Madison Square Park at night, the building can be seen in the background. *In the 2016 movie '' Bakery in Brooklyn'', Vivian talks to Paul on the phone while she rides her bike. In one part of that scene the Midtown Manhattan Skyline can be seen behind her. * In '' Sully'' (2016), the Empire State Building can be seen in some parts of the movie. * In the 2016 film, '' Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows'', which takes place in New York, there are scenes including the Empire State Building, Chrysler Building, MetLife Building, One World Trade Center and many other buildings in New York City. *In the opening of ''
The Secret Life of Pets ''The Secret Life of Pets'' is a 2016 American computer-animated comedy film produced by Illumination Entertainment and distributed by Universal Pictures. It is directed by Chris Renaud, co-directed by Yarrow Cheney (in his feature directorial ...
'' (2016), the camera flies by the Empire State Building, along with the Statue of Liberty and the Brooklyn Bridge, until it reaches to
Central Park Central Park is an urban park in New York City located between the Upper West and Upper East Sides of Manhattan. It is the fifth-largest park in the city, covering . It is the most visited urban park in the United States, with an estimated ...
for the opening scene. * In the science fiction film '' Oblivion'' (2013), the Empire State Building is seen buried in dirt up to the mooring mast sixty years after an alien invasion that destroyed New York. The antenna is used as a beacon to bring down an orbiting spacecraft and the observation deck is seen as an important plot point in a flashback sequence. * The Empire State Building can be seen in the 2017 movie '' Bushwick''. It can be seen in the beginning of the movie when the camera shows a birdseye view of Brooklyn with the Manhattan skyline in the background. It can be seen again when Manhattan is revealed to have been under attack. * The Empire State Building can be seen in the movie '' Dark Tower'' (2017), when a massive shadow looms over Midtown Manhattan. * The building can be seen in the ending of the 2017 movie ''
The Fate of the Furious ''The Fate of the Furious'' (alternatively known as ''F8'' and titled on-screen as ''Fast & Furious 8'' internationally) is a 2017 American action film directed by F. Gary Gray and written by Chris Morgan. It is the sequel to '' Furious 7'' ...
'' when the camera reveals the Manhattan Skyline looking downtown. *In the 2017 Netflix Original Film ''
The Incredible Jessica James ''The Incredible Jessica James'' is a 2017 American romantic comedy film written and directed by James C. Strouse and starring Jessica Williams, Chris O'Dowd, Noël Wells, Lakeith Stanfield, Megan Ketch and Zabryna Guevara. It was released on ...
'', when Jessica is dancing on her roof the Empire State Building can be seen in the background. * The Empire State Building can be seen in the 2017 movie '' Thor: Ragnarok'' when the setting of the movie changes to New York, a part of the Manhattan skyline is shown. * In the 2018 comedy movie, '' I Feel Pretty'', The Empire State Building can be seen in the background when Renee gets out of a Taxi cab. * In the Netflix original film, ''
Like Father ''Like Father'' is a 2018 American dramedy film written and directed by Lauren Miller, in her feature-length directorial debut. The film stars Kristen Bell, Kelsey Grammer, and Seth Rogen, and follows a woman who must bond with her estranged fat ...
'' (2018) the Empire State Building can be seen in a montage of
establishing shot An establishing shot in filmmaking and television production sets up, or establishes, the context for a scene by showing the relationship between its important figures and objects. It is generally a long or extreme-long shot at the beginning of ...
s of New York City in the beginning of the movie. * The Empire State Building can be seen in the 2018 Netflix Original film, ''
Set It Up ''Set It Up'' is a 2018 American romantic comedy film directed by Claire Scanlon, written by Katie Silberman, and starring Zoey Deutch, Glen Powell, Taye Diggs, and Lucy Liu. The plot follows two overworked assistants who try to set up their deman ...
''. When there is a party on top of a building it can be seen in the background along with the Bank of America Tower and 4 Times Square. And at the end of the film when Harper and Charlie kiss, the camera zooms out to reveal the Empire State Building along with other buildings near
Bryant Park Bryant Park is a public park located in the New York City borough of Manhattan. Privately managed, it is located between Fifth Avenue and Avenue of the Americas ( Sixth Avenue) and between 40th and 42nd Streets in Midtown Manhattan. The e ...
. * The building is also seen in the 2018 film ''
Ready Player One ''Ready Player One'' is a 2011 science fiction novel, and the debut novel of American author Ernest Cline. The story, set in a dystopia in 2045, follows protagonist Wade Watts on his search for an Easter egg in a worldwide virtual reality gam ...
''. In some scenes King Kong is seen on top of the building. * In the 2018 movie '' Skyscraper'', when the main building of the movie is shown on a scale compared to other buildings. The Empire State Building is seen on the scale. * The Empire State Building can be seen when Paul is riding his bike down
5th Avenue Fifth Avenue is a major and prominent thoroughfare in the borough of Manhattan in New York City. It stretches north from Washington Square Park in Greenwich Village to West 143rd Street in Harlem. It is one of the most expensive shopping stre ...
in the 2018 movie '' An Interview with God''. * In the 2018 film '' Avengers: Infinity War'', the tower can be seen in an establishing shots and other scenes in the film. *The Empire State Building can be seen in the animated movie '' Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse'' (late 2018). * In the 2019 comedy/drama movie, ''
The Upside ''The Upside'' is a 2017 American comedy-drama film directed by Neil Burger, written by Jon Hartmere. It is a remake of the French 2011 film '' The Intouchables'', which was itself inspired by the lives of Abdel Sallou and Philippe Pozzo di Borg ...
'', the Empire State Building can be briefly seen in a car chase and when Philip is getting out of the Hospital. * The Empire State Building is seen at the end of the 2019 film, '' Spider-Man: Far From Home''. * In the drama comedy film '' Someone Great'' (2019), the Empire State Building can be seen in a night establishing shot of Midtown Manhattan. * The Empire State Building can be seen in the animated sequel, ''
The Secret Life of Pets 2 ''The Secret Life of Pets 2'' is a 2019 American computer-animated comedy film produced by Illumination, directed by Chris Renaud, co-directed by Jonathan del Val, and written by Brian Lynch. It is the sequel to '' The Secret Life of Pets'', ...
'' (2019). * The Empire State Building can be seen in the opening sequence of the 2019 action movie, '' Shaft''. * The tower along with some other buildings in the midtown skyline can be seen when an alien escapes from a window, this is featured in the 2019 film '' Men in Black: International''. * Many other films that feature the Empire State Building are listed on the building's own website. * In '' Spider-Man: No Way Home'' (2021),
Andrew Garfield Andrew Russell Garfield (born 20 August 1983) is an English and American actor. He has received various accolades, including a Tony Award, a BAFTA TV Award and a Golden Globe Award, in addition to nominations for two Academy Awards. ''Time' ...
's
Peter Parker Spider-Man is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, he first appearance, first appeared in the anthology comic book ''Amazing Fantasy'' #15 (August ...
mentions that he uses the Empire State Building as a solace spot whenever he's low.


Television

* In the 1965 four-part ''
Underdog An underdog is a person or group in a competition, usually in sports and creative works, who is largely expected to lose. The party, team, or individual expected to win is called the favorite or top dog. In the case where an underdog wins, the ...
'' cartoon serial "The Phoney Booths" (episodes 49–52),
Underdog An underdog is a person or group in a competition, usually in sports and creative works, who is largely expected to lose. The party, team, or individual expected to win is called the favorite or top dog. In the case where an underdog wins, the ...
falls under the mental control of mad scientist Simon Bar Sinister. Simon orders Underdog to use his super powers to bring him valuable objects - including the Empire State Building, which Underdog lifts whole to bring it to Simon. In the end, circumstances release Underdog from Simon's control. He defeats the evil scientist and puts back the Empire State Building. * The Empire State Building featured in the 1966 '' Doctor Who'' serial '' The Chase'', in which the
TARDIS The TARDIS (; acronym for "Time And Relative Dimension In Space") is a fictional hybrid of the time machine and spacecraft that appears in the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'' and its various spin-offs. Its exterior a ...
lands on the roof of the building; The Doctor and his companions leave quite quickly, however, because the
Dalek The Daleks ( ) are a fictional extraterrestrials in fiction, extraterrestrial race of mutants principally portrayed in the British science fiction on television, science fiction television programme ''Doctor Who''. They were conceived by write ...
s are close behind them. A Dalek is also seen on the roof of the building while it interrogates a human. In 2007, ''Doctor Who'' episodes "
Daleks in Manhattan "Daleks in Manhattan" is the fourth episode of the third series of British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'', which was first broadcast on BBC One on 21 April 2007. It is part one of a two-part story. Its concluding part, "Evoluti ...
" and " Evolution of the Daleks" also featured the building, which the
Dalek The Daleks ( ) are a fictional extraterrestrials in fiction, extraterrestrial race of mutants principally portrayed in the British science fiction on television, science fiction television programme ''Doctor Who''. They were conceived by write ...
s are constructing to use as a lightning conductor.
Russell T Davies Stephen Russell Davies (born 27 April 1963), better known as Russell T Davies, is a Welsh screenwriter and television producer whose works include ''Queer as Folk'', '' The Second Coming'', ''Casanova'', the 2005 revival of the BBC One scien ...
said in an article that "in his mind", the Daleks remembered the building from their last visit. In some new episodes of Doctor Who the ESB can be seen. Such as the episode The Return Of Doctor Mysterio. * The Empire State Building appears in the
animated Animation is a method by which still figures are manipulated to appear as moving images. In traditional animation, images are drawn or painted by hand on transparent celluloid sheets to be photographed and exhibited on film. Today, most ani ...
TV series ''
Courage the Cowardly Dog ''Courage the Cowardly Dog'' is an American animated comedy horror television series created by John R. Dilworth for Cartoon Network and distributed by Warner Bros. Domestic Television. It was produced by Dilworth's animation studio, Stretch Fil ...
''. * In the science fiction drama series ''
Fringe Fringe may refer to: Arts * Edinburgh Festival Fringe, the world's largest arts festival, known as "the Fringe" * Adelaide Fringe, the world's second-largest annual arts festival * Fringe theatre, a name for alternative theatre * The Fringe, the ...
'', the observation deck of the Empire State Building serves its primary purpose as a docking station for zeppelins in the parallel universe shown in the second-season episode "
Peter Peter may refer to: People * List of people named Peter, a list of people and fictional characters with the given name * Peter (given name) ** Saint Peter (died 60s), apostle of Jesus, leader of the early Christian Church * Peter (surname), a sur ...
". It is also featured as a main location at the beginning of the third-season episode "
Immortality Immortality is the concept of eternal life. Some modern species may possess biological immortality. Some scientists, futurists, and philosophers have theorized about the immortality of the human body, with some suggesting that human immorta ...
". * The Discovery Channel show '' MythBusters'' tested the urban myth which claims that if one drops a penny off the top of the Empire State Building, it could kill someone or put a crater in the pavement. The outcome was that, by the time the penny hits the ground, it is going roughly (
terminal velocity Terminal velocity is the maximum velocity (speed) attainable by an object as it falls through a fluid ( air is the most common example). It occurs when the sum of the drag force (''Fd'') and the buoyancy is equal to the downward force of grav ...
for an object of its mass and shape), which is not fast enough to inflict lethal injury or put a crater into the pavement. The urban legend is a joke in the 2003 musical '' Avenue Q'', where a character waiting atop the building for a rendezvous tosses a penny over the side—only to hit her rival. * In
Gerry Anderson Gerald Alexander Anderson (; 14 April 1929 – 26 December 2012) was an English television and film producer, director, writer and occasional voice artist. He remains famous for his futuristic television programmes, especially his 1960s produ ...
's popular puppet series '' Thunderbirds'', the episode '' Terror in New York City'', the Empire State Building is being moved to a new location as the site around it is set for redevelopment. However, something goes wrong and the building collapses, trapping a reporter and his cameraman underneath the rubble. Their rescue is the focus of the rest of the episode. *In the episode City of Steel of The Transformers TV series, the Empire State Building along with other buildings are dragged to the ground and replaced with cybertronian towers. * In the season 9 episode of ''
The Simpsons ''The Simpsons'' is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical depiction of American life, epitomized by the Simpson family, which consists of Homer Simpson, Homer, Marge ...
'', " The City of New York vs. Homer Simpson", the family are seen briefly in Empire State Building's observation deck. * The building can be seen in the intro of the 1998 animated series '' Godzilla: The Series'', when Godzilla climbs the Empire State Building. * In the season 2 episode of '' Family Guy'', " A Picture is Worth 1,000 Bucks", the family goes to Manhattan. A shot of the skyline is seen and when they go to the Empire State Building's observation deck, Peter asks Lois for a penny and he drops it off the building. * The music video of the song "Everything is Everything" (by singer
Lauryn Hill Lauryn Noelle Hill (born May 26, 1975) is an American singer, songwriter, rapper, and record producer. She is often regarded as one of the greatest rappers of all time, as well as being one of the most influential musicians of her generation. ...
) prominently features the Empire State Building as the center of a city (record) turntable. * The prime-time animated series, ''
The Critic ''The Critic'' was an American primetime adult animated sitcom revolving around the life of New York film critic Jay Sherman, voiced by Jon Lovitz. It was created by writing partners Al Jean and Mike Reiss, who had previously worked as writers a ...
'', shows the Empire State Building as one of the opening shots. *In the famous comedic animated TV series '' Futurama'', the
Chrysler Building The Chrysler Building is an Art Deco skyscraper on the East Side of Manhattan in New York City, at the intersection of 42nd Street and Lexington Avenue in Midtown Manhattan. At , it is the tallest brick building in the world with a steel fra ...
and Empire State Building can be seen many times in many episodes. For example, in the episode "''Tales of Interest"'' the Professor demonstrates his latest invention, the fing-longer by turning on the What-If Machine. Bender wants to aks it a question. What if he was 500 feet tall? The machine demonstrates that at 500 feet this leads to a fight between him and Zoidberg. Bender eventually gets shoved and falls onto the Empire State Building and the building's antenna goes right through him. *The Empire State Building is featured in the intro of ''
The 10th Kingdom ''The 10th Kingdom'' is an American fairytale fantasy miniseries written by Simon Moore and produced by Britain's Carnival Films, Germany's Babelsberg Film und Fernsehen, and the US's Hallmark Entertainment. It depicts the adventures of a young ...
''(2000). In the intro the building crumbles and turns into a mountain, causing New York City to turn into a nature-like landscape. * In the episode " First Time in New York" of the television series '' How I Met Your Mother'' (originally aired on January 8, 2007), the gang takes Robin's sister Katie to the Empire State Building. On the first day, they only got to the lobby, but they eventually went to the top the next day. *In season 7, episode 12 of the American drama series ''
Mad Men ''Mad Men'' is an American period drama television series created by Matthew Weiner and produced by Lionsgate Television. It ran on the cable network AMC from July 19, 2007, to May 17, 2015, lasting for seven seasons and 92 episodes. Its f ...
'', Don is at a board room meeting. He turns and looks at the window, the next shot shows him looking at the Empire State Building with a plane flying far behind it. Indicating that he wants to do more in life. *The Empire State Building is featured in a Kit Kat commercial, the building's lights turn on in sync with the melody. *In season 4 of the mystery/crime series '' White Collar'', the Empire State Building has a big effect on the plot of the season. A wanted man/ escaped prisoner is hiding somewhere in New York City. Peter and Neal find out he is hiding at the Empire State Building, specifically in an office on the 50th floor. *The Empire State Building can be seen in many episodes of the Crime Drama series, '' Person of Interest''. For example, when a group of men are having a conversation in Roosevelt Island with the Midtown Manhattan skyline behind them. *The Empire State Building can be seen many times in the 2014 television series ''
Taxi Brooklyn ''Taxi Brooklyn'' is a French-American action comedy police procedural television series, produced by EuropaCorp Television. The series stars Chyler Leigh and Jacky Ido, and is based upon the film ''Taxi'' written by Luc Besson. On March 6, 2015, N ...
''. * In the television series ''
Life After People ''Life After People'' is a television series on which scientists, mechanical engineers, and other experts speculate about what might become of planet Earth if humanity suddenly disappeared. The featured experts also talk about the impact of hu ...
'' episode "Heavy Metal", the Empire State Building collapses after around 200 years after
human extinction Human extinction, also known as omnicide, is the hypothetical end of the human species due to either natural causes such as population decline from sub-replacement fertility, an asteroid impact, or large-scale volcanism, or to anthropogenic ...
due to saturated soil among the building's foundation pilings allows the building to lean. When gravity makes the building lean too far, it slips from the skyline and crashes to the streets below. *It can be seen in the background in many episodes of the 2015 crime series, '' Limitless''. * The Empire State Building can be seen in most scenes of
Marvel Marvel may refer to: Business * Marvel Entertainment, an American entertainment company ** Marvel Comics, the primary imprint of Marvel Entertainment ** Marvel Universe, a fictional shared universe ** Marvel Music, an imprint of Marvel Comics * ...
's
Netflix Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fi ...
scripted programming, such as ''Jessica Jones'', ''Daredevil'', ''Luke Cage'', ''Iron Fist'', and ''The Defenders''. * The Empire State Building appears in the 2013 '' Mickey Mouse'' season 1 episode "New York Weenie". * In the episode "
Last Tango, Then Paris "Last Tango, Then Paris" is the 22nd and final episode of the third season of the American teen drama television series ''Gossip Girl''. The episode was written by Joshua Safran and Stephanie Savage and directed by J. Miller Tobin. It originally ...
" of the teen drama series ''
Gossip Girl ''Gossip Girl'' is an American teen drama television series based on the novel series of the same name written by Cecily von Ziegesar. The series, developed for television by Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage, ran on The CW network for six sea ...
'', Blair goes to the top of the Empire State Building to meet
Chuck Chuck is a masculine given name or a nickname for Charles or Charlie. It may refer to: People Arts and entertainment * Chuck Alaimo, American saxophonist, leader of the Chuck Alaimo Quartet * Chuck Barris (1929–2017), American TV producer * C ...
in order to save their relationship. * In the fourth-season episode "Darkness on the Edge of Town" of ''
Once Upon a Time "Once upon a time" is a stock phrase used to introduce a narrative of past events, typically in fairy tales and folk tales. It has been used in some form since at least 1380 (according to the ''Oxford English Dictionary'') in storytelling in t ...
'', The Empire State Building can be seen in the distance of the New York City skyline. *The Empire State Building was featured as a part of the challenge in the 26th episode of the animated series '' Total Drama: The Ridonculous Race.'' * On October 15, 2018, Eminem performed his song "Venom" from the top of the building during a live segment of ''
Jimmy Kimmel Live ''Jimmy Kimmel Live!'' is an American late-night talk show, created and hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, broadcast on ABC. The nightly hour-long show debuted on January 26, 2003, at Hollywood Masonic Temple in Hollywood, California, as part of ABC's lea ...
''. * In the season 2 episode ''The Incredible Shrinking Turtles'' of the '' 1987–1996 animated Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles television series'' and its TMNT Adventures comic adaptation, Shredder uses the extraterrestrial ''Eye of Sarnath'' crystal to shrink the Empire State Building into
dollhouse A dollhouse or doll's house is a toy home made in miniature. Since the early 20th century dollhouses have primarily been the domain of children, but their collection and crafting is also a hobby for many adults. English-speakers in North America ...
-size. *The Empire State Building is the home of
Mount Olympus Mount Olympus (; el, Όλυμπος, Ólympos, also , ) is the highest mountain in Greece. It is part of the Olympus massif near the Thermaic Gulf of the Aegean Sea, located in the Olympus Range on the border between Thessaly and Macedonia, be ...
throughout the series ''
Percy Jackson and the Olympians ''Percy Jackson & the Olympians'' is a series of five fantasy novels written by American author Rick Riordan, and the first book series in the ''Camp Half-Blood Chronicles''. The novels are set in a world with the Greek gods in the 21st centur ...
''.


Video games

* In the 2001 video game '' Grand Theft Auto III'' and its prequels ''
Grand Theft Auto Advance ''Grand Theft Auto Advance'' (also marketed as ''Grand Theft Auto'') is a 2004 action-adventure game developed by Digital Eclipse and published by Rockstar Games. The eighth instalment in the ''Grand Theft Auto'' series, it was released for the ...
'' and '' Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories'', a building resembling a combination of the Empire State and Chrysler Buildings is located in Bedford Point on Staunton Island in Liberty City. The game's rendition shares a similar facade design as part of the Empire State Building, but has somewhat similar terms of structural design of the Chrysler Building, with a crowned roof topped with a pinnacle. * In the 2008 video game ''
Grand Theft Auto IV ''Grand Theft Auto IV'' is a 2008 action-adventure game developed by Rockstar North and published by Rockstar Games. It is the sixth main entry in the ''Grand Theft Auto'' series, following 2004's '' Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas'', and the e ...
'', the Empire State Building appears as the Rotterdam Tower. It is the tallest building in Liberty City. The building's name is a reference to New Rotterdam, the Dutch colonial town which became the present day Liberty City. The Rotterdam Tower also appears in '' Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars'', however, only the bottom floors are rendered due to the game's top-down angle. *In the open world action video game, Prototype 2 which takes place in an apocalyptic era, you can base jump from the Empire State Building. The building itself looks damaged and has holes on multiple floors. *In the action role playing video game,
Tom Clancy's The Division ''Tom Clancy's The Division'' is an online-only action role-playing video game developed by Massive Entertainment and published in 2016 by Ubisoft, for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. It is set in a near future New York City in ...
, which released in 2016 takes place in New York City. The Empire State Building and other famous New York landmarks are included in the video game. The Empire State Building looks different due to licensing purposes. The
Chrysler Building The Chrysler Building is an Art Deco skyscraper on the East Side of Manhattan in New York City, at the intersection of 42nd Street and Lexington Avenue in Midtown Manhattan. At , it is the tallest brick building in the world with a steel fra ...
and Empire State Building can be seen on the game's cover. * In the 2017 video game ''
Super Mario Odyssey is a 2017 platform game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Switch. An entry in the ''Super Mario'' series, it follows Mario and his new ally Cappy—a sentient hat that allows Mario to control other characters and objects ...
'', the New Donk City Hall building is based on the Empire State Building. The building is located in the Metro Kingdom. The kingdom itself is loosely based on New York City with many references to the ''
Donkey Kong is a video game franchise created by Shigeru Miyamoto and owned by Nintendo. It follows the adventures of a gorilla named Donkey Kong (character), Donkey Kong and his clan of other Ape, apes and monkeys. The franchise primarily consists of plat ...
'' arcade game and the ''
Donkey Kong Country ''Donkey Kong Country'' is a 1994 platform game developed by Rare (company), Rare and published by Nintendo for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES). It is a Reboot (fiction), reboot of Nintendo's ''Donkey Kong'' franchise and foll ...
'' series. * The Empire State Building is a featured landmark to place in a city in the PC games '' Sim City 3000'' and '' Sim City 4''. * In the 2018 video game, Marvel's Spider-Man, Spider-Man can climb up Empire State Building (even all the way up to its antenna) along with other New York buildings. The Empire State Building also appears in most other
Spider-Man video games Numerous video games featuring the popular Marvel Comics superhero Spider-Man have been officially released. To date, Spider-Man has appeared on over 15 gaming platforms, including apps on mobile phones. Overview 1980s The Marvel Comics sup ...
, notably in Spider-Man: Web of Shadows where it is renamed the Trask Building (likely as a reference to the character
Bolivar Trask Bolivar Trask is a fictional supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He is a military scientist whose company Trask Industries is well known as the creator of the Sentinels. He is also the father of Larry Trask ...
) and is used to build a sonic generator to destroy the symbiote invasion. * In the 1998 PC game ''JumpStart Music'', part of the ''
JumpStart ''JumpStart'' (known as ''Jump Ahead'' in the United Kingdom) is an educational media franchise for children, consisting mostly of educational games, produced by JumpStart Games. The series originally consisted of a series of educational PC gam ...
'' educational game series, a
parody A parody, also known as a spoof, a satire, a send-up, a take-off, a lampoon, a play on (something), or a caricature, is a creative work designed to imitate, comment on, and/or mock its subject by means of satiric or ironic imitation. Often its sub ...
version of the building shaped like a
violin The violin, sometimes known as a '' fiddle'', is a wooden chordophone ( string instrument) in the violin family. Most violins have a hollow wooden body. It is the smallest and thus highest-pitched instrument ( soprano) in the family in regu ...
is seen in a fantasy realm called Music Land. Words on the building proclaim it to be the "Empire String Building". * In '' Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus'', a Nazi atomic bomb was dropped on New York, leveling most of the city. The Empire State Building survived the bombing, and is used as a refuge for survivors and rebels due to the fact that its upper floors are safe from the
nuclear fallout Nuclear fallout is the residual radioactive material propelled into the upper atmosphere following a nuclear blast, so called because it "falls out" of the sky after the explosion and the shock wave has passed. It commonly refers to the radioac ...
, which is at its highest concentrations nearer street level.


Literature and comics

*
H. G. Wells Herbert George Wells"Wells, H. G."
Revised 18 May 2015. ''
The Shape of Things to Come ''The Shape of Things to Come'' is a work of science fiction by British writer H. G. Wells, published in 1933. It takes the form of a future history which ends in 2106. Synopsis A long economic slump causes a major war that leaves Europe dev ...
'', written in the form of a history book published in the far future, includes the following passage: "Up to quite recently Lower New York has been the most old-fashioned city in the world, unique in its gloomy antiquity. The last of the ancient skyscrapers, the Empire State Building, is even now under demolition in C.E. 2106!". *In the 1942 novel magazine called Startling Stories, specifically Startling Stories: City of Glass. A giant man attacks New York City. He is seen to be holding the Empire State Building under one arm and the Statue of Liberty under the other. *In the 1979 comic, Meteor (Marvel Comics Super Special), multiple meteors rain down on New York City. Showing meteors destroying the
World Trade Center World Trade Centers are sites recognized by the World Trade Centers Association. World Trade Center may refer to: Buildings * List of World Trade Centers * World Trade Center (2001–present), a building complex that includes five skyscrapers, a ...
,
Rockefeller Center Rockefeller Center is a large complex consisting of 19 commercial buildings covering between 48th Street and 51st Street in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. The 14 original Art Deco buildings, commissioned by the Rockefeller family, span th ...
, and Empire State Building. * In the 1980 John Varley novel Wizard, Cirocco is named as owner of the Empire State Building, which she has restored. *
David Macaulay David Macaulay (born 2 December 1946) is a British-born American illustrator and writer. His works include ''Cathedral'' (1973), '' The Way Things Work'' (1988) and ''The New Way Things Work'' (1998). His illustrations have been featured in ...
's 1980 illustrated book ''Unbuilding'' depicts the Empire State Building being purchased by a Middle Eastern oil billionaire in the early 1990s and disassembled piece by piece, to be transported to
Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in Western Asia. It covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and has a land area of about , making it the fifth-largest country in Asia, the second-largest in the A ...
and rebuilt there. The mooring mast is rebuilt in a park at its former location in Manhattan, while the remainder of the building is lost at sea. * In the 1989 Marvel Comics storyline ''Inferno'', the Empire State Building is used as a staging ground of a demonic invasion of Manhattan. Several tie-in comics show the building being "mutated" by the demons' presence. *
Giannina Braschi Giannina Braschi (born February 5, 1953) is a Puerto Rican poet, novelist, dramatist, and scholar. Her notable works include ''Empire of Dreams'' (1988), ''Yo-Yo Boing!'' (1998) ''and United States of Banana'' (2011). Braschi writes cross-genr ...
's
Empire of Dreams ''Empire of Dreams: The Story of the Star Wars Trilogy'' is a 2004 documentary film directed by Kevin Burns and narrated by Robert Clotworthy. It documents the making of the original ''Star Wars'' trilogy: ''Star Wars'' (1977), ''The Empire Stri ...
, a Latin American poetry epic published in 1988, featured a pastoral revolution on the top floor of the Empire State Building, where shepherds danced and sang songs of revolution. * The Empire State Building is featured prominently as both a setting and integral plot device throughout much of
Michael Chabon Michael Chabon ( ; born May 24, 1963) is an American novelist, screenwriter, columnist, and short story writer. Born in Washington, DC, he spent a year studying at Carnegie Mellon University before transferring to the University of Pittsburgh, gr ...
's 2000 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, ''
The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay ''The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay'' is a 2000 novel by American author Michael Chabon that won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 2001. The novel follows the lives of two Jewish cousins, Czech artist Joe Kavalier and Brooklyn-born write ...
''. * In his "biography", '' Doc Savage: His Apocalyptic Life'',
Philip Jose Farmer Philip, also Phillip, is a male given name, derived from the Greek (''Philippos'', lit. "horse-loving" or "fond of horses"), from a compound of (''philos'', "dear", "loved", "loving") and (''hippos'', "horse"). Prominent Philips who popularize ...
theorizes that the skyscraper in which
Doc Savage Doc Savage is a fictional character of the competent man hero type, who first appeared in American pulp magazines during the 1930s and 1940s. Real name Clark Savage Jr., he is a doctor, scientist, adventurer, detective, and polymath who "rights w ...
lived and where he met with his comrades, had his laboratories, ''etc.'', was the Empire State Building. Since the 86th Floor (mentioned in the Savage stories as his floor) was the Observatory, one may presume that Doc "actually" lived on another floor. * In Rick Riordan's '' Camp Half-Blood Chronicles'' series, the Empire State Building is shown as the headquarters of the Olympian Gods, where the Greek Gods live and hold their meetings. * In the 1961 children's novel ''
James and the Giant Peach ''James and the Giant Peach'' is a popular children's novel written in 1961 by British author Roald Dahl. The first edition, published by Alfred Knopf, featured illustrations by Nancy Ekholm Burkert. There have been re-illustrated versions of ...
'' by Roald Dahl, the giant peach is dropped onto the lightning rod of the Empire State Building at the end. This novel was later adapted in a film under the same name in 1996, which features the same part where the peach falls onto the Building's antenna. *In the 2011 novel Ghostbusters Vol. 1 Issue #2, Idulnas, while in possession of Jim Silver, ascended the Empire State Building in order to commune with the essence of Gozer as nearly finished its reformation. Idulnas needed Ray Stantz back in Manhattan and animated the nearby bear statue of Wall Street to draw him into a trap. It can also be seen in the 2016 novel Ghostbusters International #1. It can also be seen labeled on a map of Manhattan 2017 novel Ghostbusters 101 3. * In the sci-fi/alternate history series of novels
Wild Cards ''Wild Cards'' is a series of science fiction superhero shared universe anthologies, mosaic novels, and solo novels. They are written by a collection of more than forty authors (referred to as the "Wild Cards Trust") and are edited by George ...
, the 86th floor is the location of New York's premier chic restaurant, Aces High, a very popular hangout for the superpowered aces. * In the alternate history novel ''Fallout'' part of ''The Hot War'' series by
Harry Turtledove Harry Norman Turtledove (born June 14, 1949) is an American author who is best known for his work in the genres of alternate history, historical fiction, fantasy, science fiction, and mystery fiction. He is a student of history and completed hi ...
, where the
Korean War , date = {{Ubl, 25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953 (''de facto'')({{Age in years, months, weeks and days, month1=6, day1=25, year1=1950, month2=7, day2=27, year2=1953), 25 June 1950 – present (''de jure'')({{Age in years, months, weeks a ...
escalates into
World War III World War III or the Third World War, often abbreviated as WWIII or WW3, are names given to a hypothetical worldwide large-scale military conflict subsequent to World War I and World War II. The term has been in use since at ...
, the Empire State Building, which stood as the world tallest building for 21 years up to that point, is toppled by the
Soviet The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen nation ...
atomic bomb which hit New York City in May 1952. The collapsing skyscraper crushed a nearby hotel with the equivalent of "a sledgehammer hitting a
railroad spike A rail fastening system is a means of fixing rails to railroad ties ( North America) or sleepers (British Isles, Australasia, and Africa). The terms ''rail anchors'', ''tie plates'', ''chairs'' and ''track fasteners'' are used to refer to parts ...
". Among those killed in the crushed hotel was politician
Averell Harriman William Averell Harriman (November 15, 1891July 26, 1986), better known as Averell Harriman, was an American Democratic politician, businessman, and diplomat. The son of railroad baron E. H. Harriman, he served as Secretary of Commerce un ...
, a key adviser to President
Harry S. Truman Harry S. Truman (May 8, 1884December 26, 1972) was the 33rd president of the United States, serving from 1945 to 1953. A leader of the Democratic Party, he previously served as the 34th vice president from January to April 1945 under Franklin ...
, and possible Democratic candidate for the
1952 US presidential election The 1952 United States presidential election was the 42nd quadrennial United States presidential election, presidential election and was held on Tuesday, November 4, 1952. Republican Party (United States), Republican Dwight D. Eisenhower won a l ...
. *In the 1951 comic book series, ''
Super Science Stories ''Super Science Stories'' was an American pulp science fiction magazine published by Popular Publications from 1940 to 1943, and again from 1949 to 1951. Popular launched it under their Fictioneers imprint, which they used for magazines, payin ...
'', volume 8. On the cover of the comic three UFOs are seen attacking New York City, the Empire State Building is seen to be on fire along with the streets below. * In the first issue of ''Atomic War!'' published in November 1952, New York City is hit with a
Soviet The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen nation ...
atomic bomb in 1960, the Empire State Building, the
Chrysler Building The Chrysler Building is an Art Deco skyscraper on the East Side of Manhattan in New York City, at the intersection of 42nd Street and Lexington Avenue in Midtown Manhattan. At , it is the tallest brick building in the world with a steel fra ...
and the
Headquarters of the United Nations zh, 联合国总部大楼french: Siège des Nations uniesrussian: Штаб-квартира Организации Объединённых Наций es, Sede de las Naciones Unidas , image = Midtown Manhattan Skyline 004.jpg , im ...
are all shown collapsing during the bombing of the city. Both the Empire State and Chrysler Buildings are also shown collapsing on the cover of the same issue. *In the 1955 science fiction magazine,
Fantastic Science Fiction ''Fantastic'' was an American digest-size fantasy and science fiction magazine, published from 1952 to 1980. It was founded by the publishing company Ziff Davis as a fantasy companion to ''Amazing Stories''. Early sales were good, and the com ...
, the Empire State Building is in the Fourth Volume, specifically on the cover it can be seen sticking out of a giant wave along with some other buildings in New York. *In the 1980 comic,
Archie's Mad House ''Archie's Mad House'' (sometimes rendered as ''Archie's Madhouse'') was a comic book magazine published by Archie Comics from 1959 to 1982. The series went through a number of overhauls and name changes. Classic stories have occasionally appeared ...
No. 120, when aliens invade earth, two spaceships take the Statue Of Liberty and Empire State Building.


Other

* The Empire State Building appears in the foreground of the album cover for '' Standing on the Shoulder of Giants'', a 2000 studio album by English rock band Oasis. * A scale model built from 12,000 LEGO bricks over 250 hours is featured along with other notable buildings in the ''LEGO Architecture: Towering Ambition'' exhibition at the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C. * A replica of the Empire State Building is at
Las Vegas Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...
'
New York-New York Hotel and Casino New York-New York Hotel and Casino is a casino hotel on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada, United States. It is owned by Vici Properties and operated by MGM Resorts International, and is designed to evoke New York City in its architect ...
.


References

{{Reflist
Popular culture Popular culture (also called mass culture or pop culture) is generally recognized by members of a society as a set of practices, beliefs, artistic output (also known as, popular art or mass art) and objects that are dominant or prevalent in a ...
New York City in popular culture