The Panorama was one of the most successful attractions at the 1964 Fair, with "millions" of people paying 10 cents each for a 9-minute simulated helicopter ride around the City, a dark ride narrated by Lowell Thomas to a text written by Harvey Yale Gross. It was one of three colossal representations of geography at the fair, alongside the Unisphere and the New York State Pavilion. Visitors could also look at the model from a balcony and, for another 10 cents, could peer at specific neighborhoods using binoculars.