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Can You Bring Outside Food Into Attractions? Venue Rules

Of the 15 attractions we have verified for outside food, 1 allows it, 7 allow it with limits, 6 ban it and 1 does not say. Rules can change by event, so check the event page for your date too. Each venue below shows its own rule, the official page it comes from and the date we read it.

Last updated

At a glance

Attractions compared
15
State a rule
14
Last check
Oct 5, 2026

How the verified attractions treat outside food

Allowed outright: CN Tower.

Allowed with limits: Statue of Liberty, Independence Hall and Liberty Bell, Washington Monument, Alcatraz Island, Mount Rushmore National Memorial, National Museum of American History and National Museum of African American History and Culture.

Not allowed: One World Observatory, Griffith Observatory, National Museum of Natural History, Empire State Building, Top of the Rock and National Air and Space Museum.

Not mentioned on the pages we read: Space Needle. We do not guess for these, so ask the venue or check the event page.

A verdict here is a summary of the venue's own wording, and the rows below give that wording. Rules can change by event, so a game and a concert at the same venue can differ. See the outside food guide for how every kind of venue treats them.

What each of the 15 attractions says

Each row is the venue's own rule, with the official page it came from and the date we read it.

Outside food

  • Alcatraz IslandConditional

    Eating, drinking and smoking are permitted only at the dock area on the island. Food and beverages are not allowed beyond the designated dock area, apart from bottled water.

    Alcatraz City Cruises know before you go page, checked

  • CN TowerAllowed

    Outside food and non-alcoholic beverages are allowed.

    CN Tower common questions page, checked

  • Empire State BuildingNot allowed

    Outside food and beverages are prohibited.

    Empire State Building FAQ page, checked

  • Griffith ObservatoryNot allowed

    No food and drinks and no alcohol are allowed inside the building, including the roof.

    Griffith Observatory guidelines page, checked

  • Independence Hall and Liberty BellConditional

    No open containers of food or drink are allowed through the screening, such as an open tray of french fries or a disposable coffee cup.

    Liberty Bell Center visit page, checked

  • Mount Rushmore National MemorialConditional

    Food and beverages are prohibited in the Information Center, Lincoln Borglum Visitor Center, Sculptor's Studio and Gift Shop. The page states no rule for outdoor areas.

    Mount Rushmore safety page, checked

  • National Air and Space MuseumNot allowed

    Food and drink are not allowed, and the museum asks visitors not to bring outside food. Bottled water is permitted.

    National Air and Space Museum entry and guidelines page, checked

  • National Museum of African American History and CultureConditional

    All other outside food or drink must be closed and secured and may not be consumed in the museum. Bagged lunches can be eaten outside on the National Mall.

    NMAAHC frequently asked questions page, checked

  • National Museum of American HistoryConditional

    Open containers of food and drink are not permitted. Food and drinks that are closed and secured may be carried through the museum, and food may be eaten only in the designated cafeterias. Brown bag lunches may be eaten on the terrace or the National Mall, and there is no storage for them inside.

    National Museum of American History visit page, checked

  • National Museum of Natural HistoryNot allowed

    Seating for bagged lunches is not available. Bagged lunches must be stowed away at all times and eaten outside the museum, and there is no refrigerated storage.

    National Museum of Natural History visit page, checked

  • One World ObservatoryNot allowed

    No food or beverage may be brought into the Observatory.

    One World Observatory prohibited items page, checked

  • Space NeedleNot stated

    The pages do not mention outside food.

    Space Needle bag policy page, checked

  • Statue of LibertyConditional

    All food and drinks are prohibited in the pedestal, except water in a clear plastic bottle. The page does not describe food elsewhere in the park.

    Statue of Liberty safety and security page, checked

  • Top of the RockNot allowed

    Outside food and beverages are not permitted.

    Top of the Rock tickets and FAQ page, checked

  • Washington MonumentConditional

    Food and drink are not allowed within the monument, except sealed food, water and baby formula in clear plastic containers.

    Washington Monument restricted items page, checked

Cooler

  • Alcatraz IslandNot allowed

    Coolers are on the prohibited items list.

    Alcatraz City Cruises prohibited items page, checked

  • CN TowerNot stated

    The pages do not mention coolers.

    CN Tower common questions page, checked

  • Empire State BuildingNot stated

    The pages do not mention coolers.

    Empire State Building FAQ page, checked

  • Griffith ObservatoryNot stated

    The pages do not mention coolers.

    Griffith Observatory guidelines page, checked

  • Independence Hall and Liberty BellNot stated

    The pages do not mention coolers.

    Liberty Bell Center visit page, checked

  • Mount Rushmore National MemorialNot stated

    The pages do not mention coolers.

    Mount Rushmore safety page, checked

  • National Air and Space MuseumNot stated

    The pages do not mention coolers.

    National Air and Space Museum entry and guidelines page, checked

  • National Museum of African American History and CultureNot stated

    The pages do not mention coolers.

    NMAAHC frequently asked questions page, checked

  • National Museum of American HistoryNot stated

    The pages do not mention coolers.

    National Museum of American History visit page, checked

  • National Museum of Natural HistoryNot stated

    The pages do not mention coolers.

    National Museum of Natural History visit page, checked

  • One World ObservatoryNot stated

    The pages do not mention coolers.

    One World Observatory prohibited items page, checked

  • Space NeedleNot stated

    The pages do not mention coolers.

    Space Needle bag policy page, checked

  • Statue of LibertyNot stated

    The pages do not mention coolers.

    Statue of Liberty safety and security page, checked

  • Top of the RockNot stated

    The pages do not mention coolers.

    Top of the Rock tickets and FAQ page, checked

  • Washington MonumentNot stated

    The pages do not mention coolers.

    Washington Monument restricted items page, checked

Keep comparing

Questions about outside food at attractions

  1. It depends on the venue. Of the 15 attractions we have verified, 14 state a rule for outside food, and the rows above show each one with its source.

  2. One World Observatory, Griffith Observatory, National Museum of Natural History, Empire State Building, Top of the Rock and National Air and Space Museum ban them, according to the official pages we read.

  3. Often. The venues we have verified say rules can change by event, so check the event page for your date and the venue page linked above.

Sources for this page

Every rule above comes from one of these official pages. They open in a new tab.

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Not affiliated with any venue. Always confirm with the venue for your event. How we verify