SUMMIT One Vanderbilt Tips: What to Wear, Where to Enter
SUMMIT's dress code for mirrored floors, which shoes are banned, the three entrances, what happens if you arrive late, and how long to allow.
Wear trousers, shorts or tights rather than a skirt, flat soft-soled shoes, and sunglasses by day; enter from Grand Central or 45 East 42nd Street, and arrive on time for your slot. The floors and ceilings are mirrors, and SUMMIT leaves it to you to dress for that.
What to wear
- Bottoms. SUMMIT recommends trousers, shorts or tights if possible. The mirrored floors and ceilings reflect everything, and the dress code makes guests responsible for avoiding unwanted exposure.
- Shoes. Comfortable, non-marking shoes. Stiletto heels, work or steel-toed boots and cleats are not allowed, because they damage the mirrored floors.
- Sunglasses. The reflective rooms get bright in full sunlight, and SUMMIT suggests bringing a pair.
- Shirt and shoes must stay on throughout.
Where the entrance is
SUMMIT has three entrances, and none of them is the office lobby of One Vanderbilt:
- The Transit Hall in One Vanderbilt, at the corner of Vanderbilt Avenue and 43rd Street.
- The street entrance at 45 East 42nd Street.
- The Main Concourse level of Grand Central Terminal: head west from the concourse.
Whichever you use, you start on level B1, where staff check your ticket and send you up to the 91st floor.
Arriving on time
Tickets are timed in half-hour slots. The GetYourGuide ticket says you must arrive on time, and that if you miss your slot, rescheduling depends on availability and costs a fee. SUMMIT’s own policy is that late arrivals wait for the next available slot. Aim to be at the entrance 10 to 15 minutes before your time.
There is no bag or coat check, a point tour operators who bring groups here make in their own notes, so travel light: you carry everything through the rooms.
Book Your Experience
Check Availability & Prices
Select your preferred date and time. Instant confirmation — free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure.
How long to allow
SUMMIT plans a visit around 90 minutes, and its room-by-room timings add up to between about an hour and a half and two and a half hours. Allow two hours if you plan to ride Ascent or sit on the terrace with a drink. Children under 16 must stay with an adult throughout, and children 5 and under go free.
If you are still choosing a time of day, see the best time to visit.
NYC: SUMMIT One Vanderbilt Tickets
4.7 out of 5 from 61,390 reviews · from $48 per person, checked October 2026.
Check dates and times