New in Civic Center, NYC: Centre 360 Opens the Municipal Building Cupola for Free

The balcony of the cupola atop the David N. Dinkins Municipal Building at 1 Centre Street in Civic Center is now open to the public. The city's Department of Citywide Administrative Services runs the program, called Centre 360, and says it is the first public access to the view since the building went up in 1914. Admission is free, and reservations are required.

Each visit takes eight people, and a single booking covers a party of up to five. The experience lasts about 15 minutes including the ascent. Guests check in at the CityStore entrance on Centre Street, show photo ID to building security, ride an elevator to the 24th floor, then transfer to the tower elevator up to the cupola. The balcony lets you walk a full circle about 580 feet up: Midtown and the Empire State Building to the north, the East River and the Brooklyn, Manhattan and Williamsburg bridges to the east, the harbor to the south, and the courthouses, City Hall and the Hudson to the west. Overhead stands Adolph Weinman's gilded Civic Fame statue, and the balcony is the only place a visitor can stand directly beneath it.

Visits run Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., departing hourly on the hour; the site is closed on weekends. Access depends on the weather. Wear closed-toe shoes, and leave tripods and drones at home, though phones and cameras are welcome. Children under 18 need an adult and must be at least 42 inches tall. The Brooklyn Bridge–City Hall station (4, 5, 6, J, Z, R, W) is steps away.