Cool: The Empire State Building Was Built With An Airship Mooring Mast

Years before JFK Airport opened, plans were drawn up for the Empire State Building to function as an airport for New York City. The Empire State Building was built from 1930 to 1931 (it was brand new when the 1933 movie King Kong was released). But the building's antenna was not intended for giant apes to climb as they fought off angry biplanes; it was a mooring mask for giant airships. While a series of dramatic airship disasters and the development of aircraft would spell the end of commercial passenger airships, the Empire State Building's mooring mask continues to stand there today.