The glass floor
Revolving above the city.
James_Seattle — CC BY 2.0 · Sculpture: Alexander CalderPhotograph:Joe Mabel. — Public domain · Candace56 — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Pamjunipero — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Gareth Wyn Jones — CC BY-SA 4.0
The Space Needle is a 184 m observation tower at Seattle Center in Washington State and the city's best known symbol. Built for the 1962 World's Fair, which drew more than 2.3 million visitors, it still stamps the skyline with its flying saucer shape. It was once the tallest building west of the Mississippi. It is 42 m wide, weighs about 8,660 tonnes and was designed to withstand winds up to 320 km/h and earthquakes up to magnitude 9. On 19 April 1999 the city named it a historic landmark. It stands at Seattle Center, on the grounds of the old fair. The lift takes you in 41 seconds to a deck 160 m up, looking over downtown Seattle, the Olympic and Cascade mountains, Mount Rainier, Elliott Bay and the islands of Puget Sound. There is also a revolving glass floor, showing the tower and city under your feet. On clear days the view is stunning. It is 2 km in a straight line from the city centre and 1.3 km from Pike Place Market, and an old monorail runs there. Choose a clear day, as Seattle is often cloudy, and book a time ahead, since prices vary by hour and season. Some of the finest pictures of it are taken from Kerry Park in Queen Anne.
Revolving above the city.
On the horizon on clear days.
The finest picture of the tower.
400 Broad Street, Seattle Center, Washington
Book a time ahead on the site, as entry is timed.
Pick a clear day if you can, as cloud hides the mountains.
