An observation deck, observation platform, or viewing platform is an elevated sightseeing platform usually situated upon a tall architectural structure, such as a skyscraper or observation tower. Observation decks are sometimes enclosed from weather, and a few may include coin-operated telescopes for viewing distant features.

This is a timeline of the development of world's highest observation decks since the inauguration of the Washington Monument in 1885.

More information Held record, Name and Location ...

Held record		Name and Location	Constructed	Height of highest observation deck	Notes
From	To
1885	1889	Washington Monument, Washington D.C., United States	1889	152.3 m (500 ft)	Was the world's tallest structure when completed.
1889	1931	Eiffel Tower, Paris, France	1889	275 m (902 ft)	Two further observation decks 57 & 115 m.
1931	1973	Empire State Building, New York City, United States	1931	369 m (1,211 ft)[8]	A second observation deck is located on the 86th floor at 320 metres above ground.
1973	1974	World Trade Center, New York City, United States (article)	1973	399.4 m (1,310 ft)	Measured from sea level, street level was 10 feet above sea level. Indoor observation deck on the 107th floor of South Tower opened on April 4, 1973. Destroyed during the September 11 attacks.
1974	1975	Sears Tower (since renamed Willis Tower), Chicago, United States	1974	412.4 m (1,353 ft)	Measured from the Franklin Street entrance, 103rd floor observation deck opened on June 22, 1974
1975	1976	World Trade Center, New York City, United States (article)	1973	419.7 m (1,377 ft)	Measured from sea level, street level was 10 feet above sea level. Outdoor observation deck on rooftop of the South Tower opened on December 15, 1975. Destroyed during the September 11 attacks.
1976	2004	CN Tower, Toronto, Ontario, Canada	1976	446.5 m (1,465 ft)	Two further observation decks 342 and 346 metres above ground.
2004	2008	Taipei 101, Taipei, Republic of China (Taiwan)	2004	449.2 m (1,474 ft)	Two other observation decks are at 392 m (1,286 ft) (91st-floor outdoor observation deck) and 383 m (1,257 ft) (89th-floor indoor observation deck).
2008	2011	Shanghai World Financial Centre, Shanghai, People's Republic of China	2008	474 m (1,555 ft)	Other observation decks are at 423 m (1,388 ft) and 439 m (1,440 ft).
2011	2014	Canton Tower, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China	2011	488 m (1,601 ft)	The outdoor rooftop observation deck opened in December 2011. There are also several other indoor observation decks in the tower, the highest at 433.2 m (1,421 ft).
2014	2016	Burj Khalifa, Dubai, UAE	2010	555.7 m (1,821 ft)	Opened on October 15, 2014, on the 148th floor. There is another observation deck at 452.1 m (1,483 ft) on the 124th floor, which has been open since the building was opened to the public.
2016	Present	Shanghai Tower, Shanghai, China	2015	562.1 m (1,844 ft)	Opened on July 1, 2016. there are also 2 more observation decks on the 118th and 119th floor, at 546 and 552 meters respectively.

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• The 10 m observation deck of Ronda, Spain, overlooks the Depression of Ronda plain over 100 m below.
• A multi-level tree house in Cape Town, South Africa, with an observation deck on top
• An observation deck place in Rokko Garden Terrace, Mount Rokkō, Kobe, Japan
• An observation deck in West Berlin with a view of Potsdamer Platz on the other side of the Berlin Wall, 1977. At the bottom of the steps a placard shows what the square looked like in 1929.
• Brooklyn Bridge as viewed from the One World Observatory in New York City
• Night View of the Victoria Harbour, Hong Kong from sky100

• Observation car
• Observation wheel