Skip to main content
Department of Citywide
Administrative Services
David N. Dinkins Municipal Building · Free Public Experience

NYC Goes Full Circle

Ascend to the cupola of the David N. Dinkins Municipal Building for a whole new perspective of New York City. Trace the city's skyline from the Empire State Building to the harbor, with the East River bridges stretching before you in clear view – it's a full 360° sweep. Reservations are free. Parties are limited to groups of five.

Address1 Centre Street, Manhattan HoursMonday - Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. AdmissionFree
Free Admission
5 Visitors per experience
15 Minute experience
580 Feet above the city
An Invitation

Why Visit Centre 360?

For the first time since 1914, the City of New York opens this view to the public — offering a rare perspective from the David N. Dinkins Municipal Building, the heart of New York's civic life. Each visit invites five guests to take in all 360° of New York City — not merely as a skyline but as the epicenter of public trust.

View east from the cupola, the East River and the Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Williamsburg Bridges. Cupola view · East
112 years of city history

A century above the city's most iconic landmarks

Towering above Lower Manhattan, Centre 360 is perfectly situated to take in many of the sights and landmarks that New York City is best known for. The list below is what you will see on a clear day.

  • Empire State Building
  • Chrysler Building
  • One World Trade Center
  • Woolworth Building
  • Brooklyn Bridge
  • Manhattan Bridge
  • East River and Brooklyn Heights
  • Financial District skyline
  • New York City Hall
  • Tweed Courthouse
Find them all on your visit: Landmark Hunt
The David N. Dinkins Municipal Building, the central tower and cupola crowned by Civic Fame rising over Lower Manhattan. David N. Dinkins Municipal Building
1 of its kind in New York

A building and a view unlike anywhere else

Named for the City of New York's first Black mayor the David N. Dinkins Municipal Building is known for paving the way. It was the first U.S. government building constructed directly over a working subway line. McKim, Mead and White designed it as a single Beaux Arts seat for 40 agencies. The cupola is the only one of its kind in the city, and its balcony is the only place a visitor can stand directly beneath Civic Fame.

Civic Fame, the gilded statue atop the cupola, against a clear sky. Civic Fame · 1914
The Crown Jewel

Civic Fame

At 1 Centre Street, the David N. Dinkins Municipal Building has long stood as an enduring symbol of public service. Above it, the gilded Civic Fame statue gleams golden in the sky, a 25-foot figure overlooking the city's civic core.

Sculpted by Adolph Weinman and installed in 1914, the statue holds a five tipped crown for the five boroughs in one hand and a laurel branch and a shield in the other.

Learn the building's story
From the Balcony

360° Vantage Points, At the Center of it All

The cupola balcony lets visitors walk a full circle and view three hundred and sixty degrees of the city in one rotation. Click the directionals below to view different vantage points from the cupola. North to Midtown, East to the river, South to the harbor, West to the courthouses, the Hudson, and beyond.

Looking north from the cupola toward Midtown, the Empire State Building rises at center.
North

Midtown Skyline

Looking east from the cupola across the East River to Brooklyn and the bridges. 90°
East

River and Bridges

Looking south from the cupola across Lower Manhattan toward the harbor. 180°
South

Harbor and Bay

Looking west from the cupola toward the courthouses, City Hall, and the Hudson River beyond. 270°
West

Courthouses and Hudson

Where to Find Us

Visit · 1 Centre Street

The David N. Dinkins Municipal Building stands at the meeting of Centre Street and Chambers Street, opposite City Hall Park. Trains stop at Brooklyn Bridge and City Hall on the 4, 5, 6, J, Z, R, and W lines.

Illustrated location map showing the David N. Dinkins Municipal Building marked with the Civic Fame statue, the surrounding landmarks of Lower Manhattan, and the Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges.
Open in Maps
Know Before You Go

Plan your visit

Where

Location

David N. Dinkins Municipal Building
1 Centre Street
New York, NY 10007

Enter through the CityStore on Centre Street.

When

Visit Times

  • Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
  • Visits depart hourly, on the hour.
  • Saturday and Sunday, closed.

Each experience lasts roughly 15 minutes, including the ascent.

What

What to Know

  • Bring a photo ID for building security.
  • Wear closed-toe shoes.
  • Children under eighteen must be accompanied by at least one adult and must be at least 42 inches tall.
  • Cameras and phones welcome. No tripods or drones.
  • Cupola access is weather permitting.
Step by Step

What to expect during your visit

Each visit accommodates five visitors for 15 minutes. Groups will be escorted through the building, up to the cupola, and onto the balcony. The three stops below show the path you will take.

  1. The CityStore entrance on the north side of the David N. Dinkins Municipal Building, marked with the Centre 360 plaza signage. Step 01
    Arrival

    Enter at CityStore

    Meet inside the CityStore and check in for the Centre 360 experience. Show your photo ID to building security, then gather for a short welcome.

  2. Elevator landing on the twenty fourth floor of the David N. Dinkins Municipal Building, doors marked with the Centre 360 monogram. Step 02
    The Ascent

    Up to the twenty fourth

    Groups will take an elevator to the twenty-fourth floor, and then transfer to the tower elevator, up to the cupola.

  3. View east from the cupola balcony toward the East River and the Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges. Step 03
    The Cupola

    Step onto the balcony, beneath Civic Fame

    The final stop. Visitors will step out onto the cupola and experience 360 degree views of the city. After the allotted time, the group will descend back to CityStore, together.

"From the tower of 1 Centre Street—also known as the David Dinkins Municipal Building—the 'gorgeous mosaic' that Mayor Dinkins spoke of reveals itself in its totality."

Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani