A new attraction of epic proportions brings visitors on a soaring journey through The Big Apple
New York City is a glorious amalgamation of culture, diversity and inclusion cloaked in a storied history. It is possible to appreciate the immeasurable aspects of NYC without exceeding your daily step count. Roughly ten years ago, the fledgling idea for RiseNY was born as a way to experience the city in a whole new way.
Peter Waugh, Director of Sales at RiseNY explains how this innovative idea came to fruition. “RiseNY is the brainchild of our CEO, James Sanna, and producer Dave Collins. James had seen Soarin’ Around the World at Disney and thought that NYC deserved a similar experience that not only provides a thrilling birds-eye-view of the city, but also explores all the different aspects of what made New York rise to prominence and become the international icon it is today.”
Since opening, RiseNY has received high praise and this hybrid museum has people buzzing. Photo courtesy of RiseNY
RiseNY opens its doors with a bang
With a soft opening in December of 2021, RiseNY opened its doors to the public in March of 2022 offering an exclusive look into the ground-breaking three-part cultural attraction.
“Our introductory film, by award-winning documentarian Ric Burns, runs about 8 minutes and gives a brief history of the city and Times Square in particular. Then our galleries are self-guided and can be enjoyed at your own pace. There is a lot of information contained in each one and we even have audio guides that feature our co-curators delving into the subjects at hand; you could easily spend hours absorbing everything (and some visitors do!) Then our big finale ride takes you on a soaring journey across all five boroughs, through all four seasons, every major American holiday event (think 4th of July, Thanksgiving Day Parade) and lets you ring in the New Year in Times Square in just under 6 minutes.”
The “Flying Theater” suspends visitors 30 feet in the air inside a 40-foot-high 180-degree projection dome. Photo courtesy of RiseNY
Sail through the air
The 46-seat “Flying Theater” is a one-of-a-kind simulation ride suspending visitors 30 feet in the air inside a 40-foot-high 180-degree projection dome. The breathtaking 8K aerial footage of New York City comes alive with full motion tipping seats, mist sprayers, wind fans, and scents to elevate the experience.
Peter explains, “Our team painstakingly thought about how to tell the story of the city, developed relationships with our partners, and then went through the process of making a dream into reality.”
“The producing team set to work partnering with existing NYC museums and cultural curators to write the story of New York over time and through the lenses of Finance, Skyline, Radio and Television, Fashion, Music, Film, and Broadway. With these amazing partners, we were able to write a love letter to New York that puts all of the most fascinating and exciting elements of NYC in one place!”
Since opening, RiseNY has received high praise, but what is it about this hybrid museum that has people buzzing?
“We have been very blessed to have such strong reviews, but it speaks volumes to the quality of the attraction. The ride itself tends to be everyone’s favorite part, but we have so many great moments in our galleries leading up to it. We offer so much rich history, insight, amazing artifacts, and several interactive memory-making photo opportunities; even life-long New Yorkers tell us they learned something new about their own city!”
New Yorkers are wowed
RiseNY has wowed visitors in its short existence and has even garnered the approval of steadfast New Yorkers.
“It’s a wonderful way to experience the depth and breadth of a place in a relatively short amount of time. At RiseNY, you can see all of New York in an hour and it’s a perfect introduction to the city; I would love to be able to do that for every city around the country and the globe.”
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Main photo courtesy of RiseNY
By Heather Dale
RiseNY is located at 160 W 45th Street in New York City. Please visit www.riseny.co for additional information.
