View Boston observatory atop Prudential Tower announces opening date, ticket prices
BOSTON - We now know when the public can ascend to the top of "View Boston," the three-floor observatory atop the Prudential Tower, and how much it'll cost.
The attraction that's replacing the "Top of The Hub" restaurant and Skywalk Observatory three years after they shut down will have its grand opening on June 15.
Ticket prices start at $34.99 for general admission, which gives access to all three levels of the observatory. Other packages priced at $44.99 and $54.99 let visitors skip the lines and include credits to use on retail or restaurant purchases.
View Boston features an open-air roof deck known as "The Cloud Terrace" that wraps around the 51st floor of the building, offering 360-degree views. Also on the 51st floor is an indoor/outdoor lounge called "Stratus," which will offer cocktails and small plates.
"Wherever you are on this floor you have an incredible view of the city," said Rebecca Stoddard, spokeswoman for Prudential Center owner BXP. "For locals to have a place to be able to see the city and see the view and bring visitors and family and create those memories that are so important."
Above The Cloud Terrace is "The View," which is indoors and offers "panoramic views of the city, no matter where you stand." An elevated platform called The Lookout "will have even better views of the skyline and the option to look at Boston's neighborhoods through "Virtual Viewers."
The 50th floor, called "The City," is more exhibit based, with interactive viewing of attractions and landmarks. One of the exhibits is "Boston 365," which is a projection-based 3D model of the city. The 50th floor will also house The Beacon, a bistro restaurant with family-friendly choices.
"Top of the Hub" was an institution in Boston for decades, and when it closed, developers promised "an exciting new design" with a "world-class visitor experience."
"I think the feedback we heard loud and clear is that there are a lot of memories in this building," Stoddard said. "We knew in recreating the observatory we had to create a place where we could memorialize those memories and create new ones."
View Boston will be open 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily, and The Beacon restaurant is open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
