Bookable
An Apollonaut travel guide
Moments in a longer story.
Selected milestones in the history of Top of the Rock and 30 Rockefeller Plaza.
On this page
Tower, deck and return
These dates describe the place you can learn about here. They are not a company timeline for Apollonaut.
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March 1932
Steelwork begins
Work starts on the steel structure of the RCA Building.
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20 September 1932
Lunch atop a Skyscraper
The famous photograph is taken during the construction of the 69th floor.
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26 September 1932
Topped out
An American flag is raised as the building is topped out.
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1933
The RCA Building opens
The first tenant moves in on 22 April 1933.
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1986
The deck closes
Work on the Rainbow Room cuts off the only access to the observation deck.
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2005
Top of the Rock
The deck reopens as Top of the Rock after a renovation by Gabellini Sheppard Associates.
Follow the stories behind the dates
A timeline is a beginning. The longer history introduces the people and places; the sources below provide further context.
Read at the source
Sources & further reading
Links lead to the original publishers.