RiseNY in Times Square

RiseNY is three attractions in one building on West 45th Street, between Sixth and Seventh Avenues, made by Running Subway Productions and sold on Fever as well as on its own site. You book a time slot, with entry every 15 minutes on Fever’s calendar, and the operator says most visits take 60 to 90 minutes at your own pace.

It starts with a short film in a replica of the first City Hall subway station. The documentary is by Ric Burns and narrated by Jeff Goldblum, and it runs from 1904 to the present day, through Broadway, Wall Street and the Statue of Liberty. From there you walk through seven galleries, each made with a partner: fashion with the Museum at FIT, finance with the Museum of American Finance, the skyline with The Skyscraper Museum, and film with the Tribeca Film Festival, alongside Broadway, television and radio, and music. RiseNY lists a check signed by Alexander Hamilton, costumes from Hamilton, The Lion King and Wicked, scale models of the Empire State and Chrysler buildings, and clips from more than 50 films shot in the city. Fever highlights the Notorious B.I.G.'s track suit and an original Beatles drum head.

The finish is the ride. You are strapped in with an airplane-style seatbelt and lifted in front of a 180-degree projection dome, with no headset, for 8K aerial footage of all five boroughs through the four seasons: Grand Central, Yankee Stadium, the East River fireworks and the Times Square ball drop, with wind, mist and scents in the room. Fever and the ride page say you rise 30 feet; RiseNY’s FAQ says 40. The operator says it is smooth rather than scary, and you can skip it if it is not for you.

You come out onto a life-sized replica of the Statue of Liberty’s torch, with a view over Times Square; a professional souvenir photo there is an optional extra. Phones and cameras are welcome in the galleries but not on the ride, where free cubbies hold your belongings.

This is the one to book if you want the story of New York and a ride in a single stop, and it held 4.74 from 577 reviews on Fever on 10 November 2026. It suits a short stay or a first afternoon, since it is just off Times Square and you are done in about 90 minutes. The closest rival for the view is SUMMIT One Vanderbilt (4.73 from 165 reviews, from 42.79 dollars on Fever that day), which gives you the real skyline from a tower but no history; choose it if you want to stand above the actual city. For projected art rather than city history, see ARTE MUSEUM at Chelsea Piers (4.7 from 14,398 reviews, from 29.99 dollars), and for machines and sound, Mercer Labs in the Financial District (4.19 from 793 reviews, from 42 dollars).

Buy on Fever: it was cheaper. RiseNY’s own ticket calendar showed 45.50 dollars for an adult, including a 5 dollar service fee, on the five dates we checked between 11 November and 26 December 2026, while Fever showed 35.04 with no booking fee, 10.46 dollars less. Children were 30.04 on Fever and 42 direct, and VIP tickets 52.56 and 63. RiseNY’s FAQ says the box office charges the same as its website, so walking up does not help, though groups of 10 or more can ask for its group rate. RiseNY’s own VIP ticket adds a souvenir bag, lanyard, poster and a gift shop discount; Fever’s VIP lists anytime entry on the day and priority access, so check what is included if the extras matter. For an evening nearby, our Jazz Room page covers Sony Hall on West 46th Street.