Space Needle

A great way to get a 360-degree view of Seattle is to venture up to the observation decks atop the SpaceNeedle.

Description from Wikipedia:

The Space Needle is an observation tower in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is a landmark of the Pacific Northwest and an icon of Seattle. It was built in the Seattle Center for the 1962 World’s Fair, which drew over 2.3 million visitors. Nearly 20,000 people a day used its elevators during the event.[7]

Seattle Space Needle

Once the tallest structure west of the Mississippi River,[7] it is 605 ft (184 m) high, 138 ft (42 m) wide, and weighs 9,550 short tons (8,660 tonnes). It is built to withstand winds of up to 200 mph (320 km/h) and earthquakes of up to 9.0 magnitude,[8] as strong as the 1700 Cascadia earthquake. It also has 25 lightning rods.[9]

Sonic Bloom – Seattle Centre

The Space Needle has an observation deck at 520 ft (160 m) and the rotating SkyCity restaurant at 500 ft (150 m).[7] The downtown Seattle skyline, as well as the Olympic and Cascade Mountains, Mount Rainier, Mount Baker, Elliott Bay and surrounding islands can be viewed from the top of the Needle.

Viewing Platform

Mount Rainier

Visitors can reach the top of the Space Needle by elevators that travel at 10 mph (16 km/h). The trip takes 41 seconds. On windy days, the elevators slow to 5 mph (8.0 km/h). On April 19, 1999, the city’s Landmarks Preservation Board designated it a historic landmark.[7][10]

Seattle

In September 2017, the restaurant was temporarily closed as part of a US$100 million renovation. The renovation included the installation of a new rotation motor and see-through glass floors in the restaurant, as well as the replacement of the observation deck’s wire enclosure with glass panels.[11][12] The latest addition to the Space Needle was unveiled in August 2018: the world’s first and so far only revolving glass floor, known as “The Loupe.” Standing 500 feet — or 50 stories — above street level, the observation deck’s new see-through floor offers 360-degree views of the city. Powered by 12 motors, the floor is constructed of 10 layers of tightly bonded glass to ensure safety. [13]

Seattle Space Needle at night