Erastus Corning Tower Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Erastus Corning Tower
A view of the Corning Tower from the north
General information
Type	Offices
Location	Albany, New York, United States
Coordinates	42°38′56″N 73°45′35″W / 42.648997°N 73.759836°W / 42.648997; -73.759836
Completed	1973
Height
Roof	589 ft (180 m)
Technical details
Floor count	42
Design and construction
Architect	Wallace Harrison and Max Abramovitz

The Erastus Corning Tower is a very tall building, also known as the Corning Tower. It is a skyscraper located in downtown Albany, New York, in New York State.

This impressive state office building was finished in 1973. It is covered with beautiful Vermont Pearl marble and glass. The tower is part of the Empire State Plaza, a large complex of government buildings. At 589 feet (180 meters) tall and with 44 stories, it is the tallest skyscraper in New York State outside of New York City.

The tower is named after Erastus Corning 2nd. He was the mayor of Albany for more than 40 years, from 1941 to 1983. The building was officially named after him in March 1983. Before that, people simply called it the "Tower Building."

Today, the Corning Tower is home to important government offices. These include the New York State Department of Health and the New York State Office of General Services. You can also find New York State Department of Transportation traffic cameras on the building. These cameras help monitor traffic nearby. From 2000 to 2004, it was even listed as one of the "Other Tall Buildings in North American Cities" in the World Almanac.

Visit the Observation Deck
Gallery
Nearby Places to See
See also

Visit the Observation Deck

An observation deck is a special viewing area. The Corning Tower has one on its 42nd floor. From here, you can see amazing views of Albany, the Hudson River, and the areas around it. There are panels under the windows that tell you about the famous places you can see.

However, the observation deck does not have a full 360-degree view. This is because there are no windows on the west side. A super-fast elevator takes you straight to the 42nd floor. It can reach a speed of 26 kilometers per hour (16 MPH)!

The observation deck is free to visit for everyone. It is open Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. You can get to the deck from the plaza or concourse levels of the building.