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The Empire State Building's top was initially planned to be a docking station for airships in the late 1920s. Investors believed airships would soon be used for cross-Atlantic travel, and the building's top seemed perfect for docking. The plan was for airships to land at the top, secure quickly, and let passengers walk into the building's top floor. Then, they could take an elevator down to Manhattan, arriving within seven minutes of landing. A docking mast was even built on the building. However, engineers couldn't figure out how to safely dock an airship on a 1,250-foot building with strong winds. Airship companies considered the idea too risky, and interest waned. Still, a private blimp did dock for three minutes in September 1931, causing traffic jams below, but no unloading occurred. The era of cross-Atlantic airships ended with the 1937 Hindenburg disaster, when the world's largest airship caught fire while landing in New Jersey. More rare historical photos: bit.ly/44OpIzi