Excavation on the site began in January, 1930. Construction started on March 17 of that year. Overall, 3,000 workers built 4.5 floors per week.

Photo by Lewis Hine

The north corridor contained eight illuminated panels, created by Roy Sparkia and Renée Nemorov in 1963 in time for the 1964 World's Fair, which depicts the building as the Eighth Wonder of the World, alongside the traditional seven. These panels were eventually moved near a ticketing line for the observation deck. The building's lobbies and common areas received a $550 million renovation in 2009, which included new air conditioning, waterproofing, and renovating the observation deck; moving the gift shop to the 80th floor.

The lobby is three stories high and features an aluminum relief of the skyscraper without the antenna, which was not added to the spire until 1952. The building was dedicated on May 1, 1931. President Herbert Hoover turned on the building's lights by pressing a button in Washington, D.C.

The Empire State Building famously served as the site for the climactic scene in 1933's King Kong. Overall, filmmakers have showcased the building in more than 250 feature films.

In 1964, floodlights were added to illuminate the top of the building at night, in colors chosen to match seasonal and other events. The site whatcoloristheempirestatebuilding.com tracks the changes and notes the significance of the day's pattern.

Aside from the Empire State Building, Empire State Realty Trust, headed by CEO Anthony Malkin, owns 16 other office and retail properties in Manhattan and Fairfield and Westchester counties.