Viewpoint

Bank of America Tower

📍 1111 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10036, USA

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4/ 5.0

★★★★☆

Quick Facts

Location: USA, New York
Category: Viewpoint
Duration: 1-2 hours for the lobby, theatre exterior and plaza
Opening Hours: Daily 10:00-18:00 · Public lobby and Urban Garden Room open on weekdays (office floors closed); theatre by performance; NYPL main branch Mon-Sat 10:00-18:00, Tue/Wed to 20:00
Ticket Price: Adult: Free · Public lobby and Urban Garden Room are free (a NYC park pass is needed for the garden); Sondheim Theatre is ticketed by performance; the NYPL main branch is free and needs no card.
Address: 1111 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10036, USA
Coordinates: 40.7555, -73.9847

Introduction

The Bank of America Tower, also known as One Bryant Park, stands at 1111 Avenue of the Americas (Sixth Avenue between West 42nd and 43rd Streets) in Midtown Manhattan, directly across from Bryant Park. Designed by Cook+Fox Architects with Adamson Associates and developed by the Durst Organization, it cost US$1 billion, broke ground in 2004 and was completed in May 2009. The 55-storey tower rises 1,200 feet (366 m) including its spire, making it one of New York's ten tallest buildings and the first office skyscraper in the United States to earn LEED Platinum certification. Its faceted glass curtain wall shifts colour with the light, and rainwater harvesting, grey-water reuse, thermal ice storage and a 4.6MW cogeneration plant make it among the most efficient towers ever built. The base houses the landmark Stephen Sondheim Theatre (formerly Henry Miller's Theatre) and retail, while the Urban Garden Room at 43rd Street opens free to the public. Office floors are not accessible to visitors; the draw is the public lobby, the theatre exterior and Bryant Park across the street. The must-see free cultural landmark is the New York Public Library's Stephen A. Schwarzman Building across the avenue, opened in 1911.

✨ Highlights

One of NYC's tallest

55 storeys and 1,200 feet (366 m) including the spire, completed in 2009 — one of the ten tallest buildings in New York.

First LEED Platinum office tower

The first office skyscraper in the US to earn LEED Platinum, with rainwater harvesting, grey-water reuse, thermal ice storage and cogeneration.

Crystal faceted facade

The sharp geometric glass curtain wall shifts colour as the light angle changes — a classic subject for photographing glass architecture.

Sondheim Theatre

The landmark Stephen Sondheim Theatre (formerly Henry Miller's Theatre) sits in the base and hosts major West End and Broadway productions.

Urban Garden Room

The Urban Garden Room at 43rd Street is a privately-owned public space, free to enter with a New York City park pass.

Facing Bryant Park

The tower looks straight out onto Bryant Park; pair it with the landmark New York Public Library main branch (1911) across the avenue.

🛈 Practical Info

→What is open：Office floors are not accessible to visitors; you can visit the full-height lobby, the exterior of the Stephen Sondheim Theatre and the Urban Garden Room. This is not an observation tower.

→Urban Garden Room：At 43rd Street and Sixth Avenue, the Urban Garden Room is a privately-owned public space - free to enter with a New York City park pass and a calm place to sit.

→Combine：Directly opposite is the New York Public Library's Stephen A. Schwarzman Building, a landmark opened in 1911 (open until 20:00 on Tuesdays and Wednesdays), plus Bryant Park itself.

→Theatre：The Stephen Sondheim Theatre in the base (formerly Henry Miller's Theatre) is a major West End and Broadway venue; same-day discount tickets are sometimes available.

→Photography：The faceted glass wall is best photographed around sunset; the park opposite gives the full-tower view and is quietest on weekday mornings.

→Worth it?：Worth a stop if you want the skyline or are pairing it with the library, but not if you came to go up a tower - this is not an observation deck. The park opposite and the library are free and excellent value.

→Watch out：Do not plan this as an observation tower: the office floors are closed and you can only see the full-height lobby, the theatre exterior and the Urban Garden Room. The garden room is free only with a New York City park pass - you cannot simply walk in without it.

→Transportation：Midtown Manhattan west of Bryant Park at Sixth Avenue and 43rd Street; subway B/D/F/M to 42nd-Bryant Park

Opening Hours

Opening Hours
Monday	10:00-18:00
Tuesday	10:00-18:00
Wednesday	10:00-18:00
Thursday	10:00-18:00
Friday	10:00-18:00
Saturday	10:00-18:00

Public lobby and Urban Garden Room open on weekdays (office floors closed); theatre by performance; NYPL main branch Mon-Sat 10:00-18:00, Tue/Wed to 20:00

Ticket Information

Ticket Information
Adult	Free

Public lobby and Urban Garden Room are free (a NYC park pass is needed for the garden); Sondheim Theatre is ticketed by performance; the NYPL main branch is free and needs no card.

💡 Tips

• The tower itself is not open for sightseeing - the visit is the lobby, the theatre exterior and the garden room, so do not plan it as an observation deck.

• A New York City park pass gets you free entry to the Urban Garden Room, a rare quiet spot in Midtown.

• The landmark worth prioritising is the New York Public Library main branch across the avenue - free and no card needed.

• Around sunset the glass curtain wall takes on shifting colours; this is the best light for it.

• The Sondheim Theatre sells same-day discount tickets - try the website or the box office on the day.

• Do it in one loop from Bryant Park: park, then the library's Fifth Avenue entrance.

FAQ

What are the opening hours of Bank of America Tower?

Monday: 10:00-18:00; Tuesday: 10:00-18:00; Wednesday: 10:00-18:00; Thursday: 10:00-18:00; Friday: 10:00-18:00; Saturday: 10:00-18:00; Public lobby and Urban Garden Room open on weekdays (office floors closed); theatre by performance; NYPL main branch Mon-Sat 10:00-18:00, Tue/Wed to 20:00

How much is the admission for Bank of America Tower?

Adult: Free; Public lobby and Urban Garden Room are free (a NYC park pass is needed for the garden); Sondheim Theatre is ticketed by performance; the NYPL main branch is free and needs no card.

Any practical tips for visiting Bank of America Tower?

The tower itself is not open for sightseeing - the visit is the lobby, the theatre exterior and the garden room, so do not plan it as an observation deck. A New York City park pass gets you free entry to the Urban Garden Room, a rare quiet spot in Midtown.