Although most of the space in the World Trade Center complex was off-limits to the public , the South Tower featured two public viewing areas called Top of the World Trade Center Observatories : an indoor one on the 107th floor and an outdoor one on the roof . Visitors were required to pass through security checks added after the 1993 World Trade Center bombing . They were then sent to the 107th-floor indoor observatory at a height of . The exterior columns were narrowed to allow 28 inches of window width between them . The Port Authority renovated the observatory in 1995 , then leased it to Ogden Entertainment to operate . Attractions added to the observation deck included a simulated helicopter ride around the city . The 107th-floor food court was designed with a subway car theme and featured Sbarro and Nathan 's Famous Hot Dogs . Weather permitting , visitors could ride two short escalators up from the 107th-floor viewing area to an outdoor platform at a height of . On a clear day , visitors could see up to . An anti-suicide fence was placed on the roof itself , with the viewing platform set back and elevated above it , requiring only an ordinary railing . This left the view unobstructed , unlike the observation deck of the Empire State Building
1993 World Trade Center bombing
1993 World Trade Center bombing
World Trade Center (1973–2001)