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New York’s most debated staircase is ready for another comeback. Vessel, the towering honeycomb-shaped structure at Hudson Yards, will reopen to visitors on February 27, just in time for the late-winter thaw and the start of spring sightseeing season.
Starting Friday, the 150-foot-tall landmark will once again welcome guests daily from 11am to 7pm, offering panoramic views of the Hudson River, the West Side skyline and the ever-expanding Hudson Yards campus. Tickets are already on sale online, but locals get a perk: New York City residents can score free Thursday reservations with proof of ID, plus a limited batch of free day-of tickets released each week.
If you’ve somehow avoided the conversation around Vessel since it debuted in 2019, here’s the refresher: designed by British architect Thomas Heatherwick, the gleaming bronze-toned structure looks like a futuristic jungle gym dropped into a plaza. Its web of interconnected staircases (including 154 flights, 2,500 steps and 80 landings) was built to be explored from the inside, encouraging visitors see the city from constantly shifting angles.
But the reopening comes after a complicated history that has made Vessel as infamous as it is Instagram-famous. The attraction closed multiple times following a series of tragic incidents, prompting safety concerns and eventual redesign efforts that added higher barriers and protective mesh. When it reopened again in late 2024, only portions of the structure were accessible. This latest return is another attempt to balance public access with safety as Hudson Yards gets ready for a new season of foot traffic.
Love it or hate it, Vessel has always been a conversation starter. Some critics have called it extravagant or even polarizing, but fans argue that it’s one of the city’s most striking contemporary landmarks. And despite the mixed reviews, the attraction has drawn millions of visitors since its debut, making it the centerpiece of the Hudson Yards Public Square.
For New Yorkers who haven’t climbed it yet (or anyone curious to see how it feels after all the headlines), the timing is strategic. With longer daylight hours on the horizon and Hudson Yards gearing up for spring crowds, the structure’s reflective surfaces and geometric stairways are sure to become a busy photo backdrop once again.
Whether you consider it a modern icon or just a really expensive staircase, Vessel is back.