The Vessel reopened on 21 October 2024 after a three-year closure caused by four deaths by suicide, and it remains open today. Developer Related Companies wrapped the staircases in floor-to-ceiling steel mesh, and the top level has stayed shut since. Admission now starts at $14.
Is the Vessel Open Right Now?
Yes. As of 20 October 2026, the Vessel is operating on ticketed admission at Hudson Yards in Manhattan, with hours listed by its operator as 11am to 7pm on the day of writing.
This is worth stating plainly, because several travel pages that rank for the question describe a “2026 reopening” of the structure. No such event took place. The only reopening after the long closure happened on 21 October 2024, and nothing since has changed which parts of the staircase the public can reach.
The operator’s website also lists a holiday lighting ceremony on 16 November, free and open to the public, with doors at 5pm. The Vessel was first lit for the winter holiday season in 2025.
Why Did the Vessel Close?
The Vessel closed because four people died by suicide there within about 18 months of each other, the last in July 2021.
The structure opened on 15 March 2019 with no barriers above waist height on its open landings. The first death came in February 2020, followed by a second in December 2020 and a third in January 2021. Related Companies shut the staircases indefinitely after the third.
It reopened in late May 2021 under new rules rather than new barriers. Visitors had to arrive with at least one other person, and a $10 charge was introduced after the first hour of each day, with the revenue earmarked for safety work. That arrangement lasted two months. A 14-year-old boy died in July 2021, and the Vessel closed again, this time for more than three years.
Stephen Ross, the developer’s chairman at the time, said publicly that permanent closure was under consideration. Families of those who died had written to the company pressing for physical barriers, and a prevention specialist hired by local residents had recommended netting or taller glass.
What Related Companies Changed Before Reopening
The fix was netting, not redesign. Full-height steel mesh was installed along the edges of the levels, in a pattern that echoes the Vessel’s honeycomb lattice so that visitors can still see through it.
Officials were testing net samples by August 2022, and installation ran until the 2024 reopening. The mesh now runs floor to ceiling on all edges of the lower two decks and across much of the upper decks, covering roughly half of what used to be open. Photographers have noted that the weave is loose enough to shoot a lens through.
Jeff T. Blau, chief executive of Related Companies, said at the reopening that “Vessel is an iconic New York City experience that was always designed to be entered and explored.”
Can You Climb to the Top of the Vessel?
No. The top level has been closed to the public since the 2024 reopening, and the reason is structural rather than temporary.
According to Related Companies, the steel mesh cannot be secured at the apex because it “cannot be secured on only one end” there, so the uppermost platform was left out of the retrofit. Visitors reach the lower two decks and much of the upper decks, and the highest accessible point sits around the top of the elevator run.
No operator announcement has reversed this. Any page stating that the apex has reopened is not supported by the record as of 20 October 2026.
What It Costs to Visit Now
Admission has risen since the reopening. The $10 ticket introduced in 2021 and carried into 2024 has been replaced by tiered pricing.
| Item | At the October 2024 reopening | As of 20 October 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Standard admission | $10 general admission | From $14, timed entry |
| Flexible arrival | Not offered | From $20 |
| Published hours | 10am to 9pm daily | 11am to 7pm, seasonal |
| Top level | Closed | Closed |
Children aged five and under enter free, and New York City residents can book free tickets on Thursdays with proof of residency. Bundles with the neighbouring Edge observation deck start from $84. Hours shift with the season, so the operator’s own listing is the only reliable guide on any given day.
The Vessel in Numbers
The Vessel is a climbable sculpture rather than a building, designed by the British designer Thomas Heatherwick and his studio for the Hudson Yards development on Manhattan’s West Side.
- Height: 150 feet, or about 46 metres, across 16 storeys.
- Stairs: 154 flights, roughly 2,500 steps and 80 landings.
- Shape: 50 feet wide at the base, widening to 150 feet at the top.
- Capacity: up to 1,000 people at a time.
- Cost: about $200 million, against an initial estimate of $75 million, paid for by Related Companies.
- Opened: 15 March 2019.
The steel was fabricated in Monfalcone, Italy, and shipped to New York. Heatherwick has attributed the rise in cost to the difficulty of making the steel sections.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who Designed the Vessel?
Thomas Heatherwick and Heatherwick Studio, with Thornton Tomasetti as engineer of record. It opened on 15 March 2019.
How Much Did the Vessel Cost to Build?
About $200 million, up from a first estimate of $75 million. Related Companies, the Hudson Yards developer, funded it.
Is There an Elevator at the Vessel?
Yes. An elevator and ramps serve the structure, and in December 2019 Related Companies agreed with the US Department of Justice to add wheelchair lifts and maintain elevator access after an accessibility complaint.
Can New York City Residents Visit the Vessel Free?
Yes, on Thursdays, with proof of city residency. Children aged five and under are free on any day.
Has Anything Changed at the Vessel Since It Reopened?
Pricing and programming have changed, access has not. Admission moved from a flat $10 to tiered pricing from $14, and seasonal holiday lighting began in 2025, but no verified announcement has reopened the top level.
