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Peek inside View Boston, the 3-story observatory atop the Prudential Center

Offering unparalleled views of the city, the new attraction opens to the public June 15.

By Kevin Slane

May 23, 2023

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Stepping out of the elevator on the 52nd floor of the Prudential Center, it’s immediately evident that View Boston — a three-story observatory, restaurant, open-air viewing space, cocktail bar, and virtual tour guide all rolled into one — is something Boston has been sorely missing.

A few years ago, a tourist couple stopped me as I was walking through Quincy Market and asked where they could go to “see Boston.” As I started to list attractions like Boston Common and Fenway Park, they clarified that they were looking for “a tall building where we can see Boston.”

At the time, the only answer to that question was the Pru’s Skywalk Observatory and Top of the Hub restaurant, both of which closed permanently shortly after the start of the pandemic.

View Boston, which opens to the public on June 15 (buy tickets here), is nothing short of a complete transformation of the former Top of the Hub space, and immediately moves to the top of of the list for must-see attractions in the city.

The three-story experience compares favorably with the likes of the Seattle Space Needle and the Willis (formerly Sears) Tower in Chicago, offering visitors a bird’s eye view of Boston and a crash course in the best our city has to offer.

The View Boston tour begins in the main thoroughfare of the Prudential Center shops, just past Madewell and across from Vineyard Vines. From there, visitors are whisked to the top of the building in elevators that light up with splashy visuals of the Boston skyline.

The 52nd floor, known as The View, lives up to its name. Every inch of Boston (and a few other nearby municipalities) is on display through floor-to-ceiling windows that circle the entire skyscraper. Even if you’ve lived in the Boston area your entire life, you’ll see the city as you’ve never seen it before.

Throughout the space, digital kiosks allow visitors to pinpoint the neighborhoods they’re seeing and begin building an itinerary of additional attractions to check out during their time in the city. The tool offers plenty of info on tourist favorites like the Public Gardens and the New England Aquarium, but also points out curiosities favored by locals, like the rainbow-colored gas tank that greets drivers on I-93 from its perch in Dorchester.

The only other objects in The View are metal sculptures of famous Boston landmarks. They’re impressive to look at, but also serve an important purpose: Designed in partnership with Perkins School for the Blind, the sculptures allow those with visual impairments to see and feel sights like the Museum of Fine Arts, the Hatch Shell, and Trinity Church.

Visitors then head downstairs to the 51st floor, known as The Cloud Terrace. The 360-degree open-air space is the highlight of the whole visit, offering unparalleled views with the wind whipping through your hair.

Also on the 51st floor is an indoor/outdoor cocktail lounge called Stratus, which features seasonal drink menus and shareable small plates. Depending on the weather, the windows at Stratus can be opened, and the lounge also offers outdoor seating.

Descending to the 50th and final of the three floors, known as The City, you’ll find a mix of visually appealing attractions that serve as a love letter to Boston.

First up is Boston 365, a three-dimensional model of the city that is bathed in multiple light-up displays, shifting the skyline from snow-covered to sunbathed to twinkling in the night sky. Nearby you’ll step into Open Doors, a room playing a 270-degree film that follows one boy’s journey through the best of what Boston has to offer.

Explore Boston, an interactive neighborhood discovery tool mounted on the wall, lets guests find attractions tailored to their personal interests. Visitors can scan the barcode on their entry ticket to have info for all of the attractions they choose sent to their emails. What could be a clunky experience in the wrong hands works totally smoothly, and every activity category feels exquisitely curated.

A representative for BXP — which owns the Prudential Tower and spent more than $182 million to redevelop the space that houses View Boston — said that a collaborative team spent more than three years hand-picking every restaurant you see on the board, which spans neighborhoods and cuisines. With ease, I booked myself a perfect Saturday itinerary for when a couple of college friends come to visit later this year.

Also on the 50th floor is The Beacon, another restaurant that offers small bites and drinks with still more fantastic views of the city. Unlike Stratus, which is first-come first-serve, reservations for The Beacon are already open, ensuring you’ll have a chance to sit down when you visit.

Admission to View Boston — with ticket packages costing between $34.99 and $54.99 per person — isn’t cheap. But BXP has built an attraction that is truly a must-see, even if you were a regular at Top of the Hub or worked on the 40th floor of the Pru for years.

More importantly, View Boston is the perfect place for visitors to start their journey in Boston, and to see the best this city has to offer.

(View Boston, 800 Boylston St., Boston; $34.99-54.99; ViewBoston.com)