Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Macchu Picchu
Peru • 10 days, 9 nights
Peru: Machu Picchu & the Last Incan Bridges
from
Central Asia yurt night stars
Uzbekistan • 15 days, 14 nights
Central Asia Road Trip: Backroads & Bazaars
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
Saquon Barkley Plaque
Kirkkasik Bedesten inside
Kirkkasik Bedesten
Someshwar Temple
Someshwar Temple
Grilled cheese and tomato soup are soulmates.
The Palisades Restaurant
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
A skeleton on display contemplating its own mortality.
Kid Mai Death Awareness Cafe
This classic London pub has a surprising history behind it.
John Snow
The beef, Guinness, and oyster pie sports a rich, flaky crust.
The Guinea
Welcome to one of the only floating pubs in the world.
Tamesis Dock
This may be the oldest pie in the world.
St Helens 'Oldest Pie' at The Turks Head
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Decoy’s wines reflect the terroir of California.
How a Wooden Duck Migrated From the California Wetlands to a Wine Label
11 days ago
There’s more to the French capital than the Eiffel Tower.
Dear Atlas: What Are Some Non-Touristy Things to Do in Paris?
14 days ago
The plants around Liz Dauncey in this photo are not poisonous, but many common garden and houseplants are.
Are Some of Your Favorite Houseplants Poisonous? AO Wants to Know.
21 days ago
“There may be a collective sense of a dark loneliness,” Dahl says, referring to Norway’s natural landscape.
In Norway, Easter Means Tucking Into Crime Stories
21 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United States New York State New York City Queens Surreal Elevator
AO Edited

Surreal Elevator

Nondescript elevator doors open to reveal a stunning, surreal world.

Queens, New York

Added By
Gerard Nolan
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
  tylercole / Atlas Obscura User
  tylercole / Atlas Obscura User
  csmall2000 / Atlas Obscura User
  Scouting NY
  Scouting NY
  Scouting NY
Not that you could, don’t miss the scrambled bus sculpture opposite the elevator.   Anna Minster / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Elevators could not be more predictable. Though some have ornate interiors and others have spare, utilitarian insides, they're hardly surprising. That's what makes this elevator in a former Macy's warehouse in Long Island City so remarkable.

The experience of entering this elevator is one of being thrust from the quotidian to the surreal in an instant. As the drab doors open, a swirling, psychedelic panorama appears, deep reds and an organic shape that resembles more of a cave full of wonders than a vessel to deliver you from floor to floor.  Textures and mirrors trick the eye, making it seem much bigger on the inside, and small mechanical monsters poke their heads out of hiding holes in the walls and ceiling.

The erstwhile Macy's warehouse building once catered to the art scene, and the elevator is what's left of what used to be an entire building decorated in tart installments of the same surreal style. The current owners have remodeled the building to operate as a more typically conservative-looking office space, but the wonderfully bizarre elevator remains. 

Related Tags

Elevators Outsider Art Small Worlds And Model Towns Optical Oddities

Know Before You Go

The elevator is in a private office building known as "The Factory," so access is not guaranteed and should be checked in advance.

When entering the Factory the elevator is in the back of the building elevator 11.

Community Contributors

Added By

Gerard Nolan

Edited By

Rachel, Martin, tylercole, NickP...

  • Rachel
  • Martin
  • tylercole
  • NickP
  • joelasala
  • icatsstaci
  • csmall2000
  • Anna Minster

Published

December 3, 2013

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • http://www.scoutingny.com/?p=4450#more-4450
  • http://www.thefactorylic.com/neighborhood/
Surreal Elevator
30-30 47th Ave
Queens, New York, 11101
United States
40.742863, -73.936332
Visit Website
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Self-Taught Genius Gallery

Queens, New York

miles away

Smiling Hogshead Ranch

Queens, New York

miles away

Materials for the Arts

Queens, New York

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Queens

Queens

New York

Places 76
Stories 12

Nearby Places

Self-Taught Genius Gallery

Queens, New York

miles away

Smiling Hogshead Ranch

Queens, New York

miles away

Materials for the Arts

Queens, New York

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Queens

Queens

New York

Places 76
Stories 12

Related Stories and Lists

What Was the Point of Elevator Music?

engineering

By Natasha Frost

Related Places

  • Montpellier, France

    Villa Des Cent Regards

    100-windowed castle turned art gallery, built by one dedicated mason.

  • We now have a storefront location!

    Lucas, Kansas

    World's Largest Collection of Smallest Versions of Largest Things

    A unique attraction and museum dedicated to exploring iconic roadside structures.

  • Pepin, Wisconsin

    Doug Padilla's Art Studio

    Expansive and colorful studio of Minneapolis art-star, Doug Padilla.

  • Bushland, Texas

    Floating Mesa

    The top of a giant mesa, just outside of Amarillo, appears to float in the sky above.

  • Interior of the Dream House

    New York, New York

    Dream House

    La Monte Young and Marian Zazeela's "Dream House" will immerse you in an ever changing world of sound and light.

  • Austin, Texas

    ‘Malin’s Fountain’

    An 18-foot-tall troll sculpture, made from recycled wood and materials found in nature.

  • Savannah, Georgia

    ‘Black Holocaust Memorial’

    Papier-mâché folk art recognizing horrors of slave trade.

  • Welcome to SMoMA.

    New Orleans, Louisiana

    SMoMA - The Snail Museum of Miniature Art

    This dollhouse-sized art museum features creations from local artists.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.