The 15 best Empire State Building moments in movies and TV (2024)

Since it opened in 1931, the Empire State Building has remained a beloved New York City landmark and a favorite setting for storytellers. Designed by Shreve, Lamb, & Harmon, the 102-story Art Deco marvel — one of the globe's most famous structures — has appeared in countless films and TV shows; a symbol of romance, danger, and the city that never sleeps. No need to fret if you missed out on the Empire State Building's movie nights, we've compiled a list of the standout scenes featuring this iconic skyscraper for you to enjoy at home.

From the climactic meetup in Sleepless in Seattle (1993) to the epic clashes in Superman II (1980), here are some of our favorite Empire State Building moments in film and television.

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King Kong (1933)

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Only two years after first opening its doors, the Empire State Building served as the setting for one of its most iconic moments in celluloid history. At the conclusion of the monster flick King Kong, the oversized ape rampages through NYC and climbs to the top of the skyscraper, Fay Wray in hand. He battles off several airplanes from atop the building's spire before succumbing to his injuries and plummeting to his death — a moment when "beauty killed the beast." The scene represented a groundbreaking use of models and stop-motion animation in cinema. —Maureen Lee Lenker

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On the Town (1949)

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On the Town was the first major studio film to shoot on location in the Big Apple, memorably setting the film's opening number, "New York, New York," on the city's bustling streets. The majority of the film was shot in studio, including a memorable moment atop the Empire State Building where the film's three couples meet after a busy day before heading out for a night on the town. The musical number provides lots of hilarity, playing off Ozzie's (Jules Munshin) fear of heights and situating the building as the best meeting place in the city. —M.L.L.

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An Affair to Remember (1957)

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Though the plot first existed in Love Affair (1939), An Affair to Remember is responsible for some of the most sweepingly romantic Empire State Building moments. After falling in love aboard a cruise, Nickie (Cary Grant) and Terry (Deborah Kerr) agree to meet at the top of the Empire State Building (“it’s the nearest thing to heaven we have in New York”) in six months' time, once they end their current relationships. Plans go awry when Terry is hit by a cab on her way to the meeting ("I was looking up...it was the nearest thing to heaven...you were there") and Nickie — after spending hours waiting on the observation deck — assumes she chose not to meet him. All is resolved in a tearful conclusion, but the plot hinges on this fateful ESB meeting, which went on to inspire Sleepless in Seattle and more. —M.L.L.

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Empire (1964)

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In perhaps its most avant-garde pop culture moment, the Empire State Building is at the heart of Andy Warhol's experimental silent film Empire. The film consists of 8 hours and 5 minutes of slow-motion black-and-white footage of an unchanging view of the building, a tactic meant to allow the viewer to watch time go by. It is considered Warhol's most famous and influential cinematic work. —M.L.L.

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The Producers (1968)

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This hilarious Mel Brooks comedy — about two producers determined to stage a surefire flop on Broadway and keep the investment money for themselves — famously shot on location all over New York City, including at the Empire State Building's observation deck. Max Bialystock (Zero Mostel) and Leo Bloom (Gene Wilder) cavort around the city throughout, visiting a range of landmarks, from the lake in Central Park to Lincoln Center to the ESB. Bialystock takes Bloom to the skyscraper as part of his attempt to convince Bloom to partner with him on his scheme. —M.L.L.

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Superman II (1980)

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The Empire State Building plays a crucial role in this superhero film's climax. As Superman (Christopher Reeve) battles Kryptonian villains, he slams one of them into the building, causing its distinctive antenna to plunge toward the street below. Superman catches it in the nick of time and restores it to its iconic perch atop the building. —M.L.L.

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Sleepless in Seattle (1993)

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One of the most memorable uses of the building was in Sleepless in Seattle. Inspired by An Affair to Remember, Annie (Meg Ryan) writes widower Sam (Tom Hanks) a letter suggesting they meet atop the Empire State Building on Valentine's Day. When Sam's son, Jonah (Ross Malinger), takes matters into his own hands, the harebrained scheme results in a chance meeting between the two at the film's romantic conclusion. The building's role in the movie capitalized on its history as a pop-culture icon. —M.L.L.

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Independence Day (1996)

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The Empire State Building provided the setting for one of the most memorable scenes in the 1996 disaster flick Independence Day. As aliens seek to invade and destroy Earth, they wipe out major cities, including New York. A gigantic spacecraft parks itself directly above the Empire State Building (as the city watches from the streets below) and proceeds to obliterate the landmark. Some of the survivors of this incident head to Area 51 to devise a plan to fight back on July 4 (hence the title). —M.L.L.

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James and the Giant Peach (1996)

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The same year Independence Day showed the ESB as the target of an alien takeover, Henry Selick's 1996 animated musical fantasy used the skyscraper for a peach breach. During the film's climax, James arrives in NYC aboard an oversized peach flown by his insect friends. When the fruit pierces through the pointed top of the Empire State Building — a landmark he and his late parents dreamed of visiting — onlookers immediately mistake it for a UFO. However, once James reaches the ground, he assures everyone that the peach and its critter passengers are harmless, highlighting how we shouldn't judge what we don't understand. —James Mercadante

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Elf (2003)

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While most pop-culture Empire State Building moments involve the skyscraper's observation deck, Elf is one of the few titles to devote its attention to the building's Art Deco interior. Buddy the Elf's (Will Ferrell) father (James Caan) works in the Empire State Building, and Buddy has several humorous run-ins with security in the building's lobby, under its towering mosaic. —M.L.L.

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How I Met Your Mother (2005–2014)

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In season 2's "First Time in New York," the entire HIMYM gang accompanied Robin (Cobie Smulders) and her visiting sister, Katie (Lucy Hale), to the Empire State Building. The group used the long wait time in the lobby as a veiled metaphor for waiting for sex, trying to persuade Katie not to sleep with her boyfriend. They didn't make it to the top of the building since Katie stormed out, but, later in the episode, they eventually returned to visit the observation deck for real. The 2007 episode was notable for sharing the stories of the main characters' first times and marking the first time Robin told Ted (Josh Radnor) she loved him. —M.L.L.

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Gossip Girl (2007–2012)

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In this 2010 season 3 finale, "Last Tango, Then Paris," the Empire State Building offered up a romantic missed connection for Blair (Leighton Meester) and Chuck (Ed Westwick). Chuck issued an ultimatum to Blair, asking her to meet him atop the building. Initially, she was reluctant to go, but once she realized they belonged together, she was delayed by the birth of Dorota's (Zuzanna Szadkowski) baby. Blair got to the ESB too late to meet Chuck but rushed to his hotel to tell him she loved him. All was seemingly well, until Blair discovered Chuck slept with Jenny (Taylor Momsen) after thinking Blair had ditched him. —M.L.L.

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Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief (2010)

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The Empire State Building plays a pivotal role in Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson & the Olympians book series: The magical portal to Olympus, home of the Greek gods and goddesses, is hidden on its 600th floor. In this 2010 live-action film adaptation, demigod Percy (Logan Lerman), his mother (Catherine Keener), and demigod Annabeth (Alexandra Daddario) teleport to the skyscraper to access Olympus and return the stolen lightning bolt to Zeus (Sean Bean) before he battles his father, Poseidon (Kevin McKidd). Nevertheless, their plans are thwarted by Luke Castellan (Jake Abel) — Hermes' son and the real Lightning Thief — forcing Percy into an epic aerial battle across Manhattan's skyline. —J.M.

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The Mindy Project (2012–2017)

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In its glorious season 2 finale in 2014 — an ode to rom-coms — The Mindy Project went to the top of the Empire State Building. Taking a page from An Affair to Remember and Sleepless in Seattle, Danny (Chris Messina) arranged to meet Mindy (Mindy Kaling) at the apex. After standing her up once, they tried again, both sprinting to the skyscraper's observation deck in a Bruce Springsteen-fueled dash. The two finally met and sealed their romantic connection on the deck, providing their own spin on the Empire State Building's romantic screen history. —M.L.L.

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Broad City (2014–2019)

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Forgetting their friendiversary, Abbi (Abbi Jacobson) attempts to make it up to Ilana (Ilana Glazer) by treating her to a trip to the Empire State's observation deck for some good ol' sightseeing. While using the coin binoculars, they bask in the city's most beautiful views: people getting hot and heavy in their homes. However, when witnessing one couple having sex on their balcony, they're shocked to see one partner pushed off the ledge. The friends are then thrust into an all-night manhunt, following the killer's every move until they eventually find out — spoiler alert — the "victim" was a sex doll. —J.M.