Centre 360 in Civic Center, NYC: Free Cupola Visits Atop the Dinkins Municipal Building

Centre 360 is a free program that takes the public up into the cupola of the David N. Dinkins Municipal Building, the Beaux Arts tower at 1 Centre Street in Lower Manhattan's Civic Center. It is run by the city's Department of Citywide Administrative Services, which says this is the first time the view has been open to the public since the building opened in 1914. The cupola had been closed for nearly a century, and a $6 million renovation repaired it, added glass safety barriers and restored the rotunda landing. Visits began on June 11.

Each visit takes eight people and lasts about 15 minutes, ascent included. Reservations are free, and parties are limited to five. Guests enter through the CityStore on Centre Street, show photo ID to building security and gather for a short welcome. An elevator takes the group to the 24th floor, where they switch to the tower elevator up to the cupola.

The balcony lets you walk a full circle about 580 feet above the street. North is Midtown and the Empire State Building. East are the East River and the Brooklyn, Manhattan and Williamsburg Bridges. South is the harbor, and west are the courthouses, City Hall and the Hudson. On a clear day, the Chrysler Building, One World Trade Center and the Woolworth Building are also in view. A phone-based Landmark Hunt game asks visitors to find 10 landmarks.

Directly overhead is Civic Fame, the 25-foot gilded statue by Adolph Weinman, installed in 1914. It holds a five-pointed crown for the five boroughs, plus a laurel branch and a shield. The city says the balcony is the only place a visitor can stand directly beneath it. McKim, Mead and White designed the building, and it was the first US government building constructed directly over a working subway line.

Visits depart hourly on the hour, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; the program is closed on weekends. Reservations open on the first day of each month, and the city says slots have sold out within minutes. The nearest stations are Brooklyn Bridge and City Hall (4, 5, 6, J, Z, R, W). Bring photo ID and wear closed-toe shoes. Children under 18 need an adult and must be at least 42 inches tall. Cameras and phones are welcome; tripods and drones are not. Access depends on the weather.