Built in 1962 for the world fair in Seattle center, the grand opening drew in over 2 million visitors. This iconic piece of emerald city history is something I had imagine witnessing all my life, going all the way to top and being immersed in the stunning skyline was a dream turned into reality. One we should all experience at least once in our lifetime, so if you’re planning a trip to Seattle make sure the big needle is on your list!
Can you tell I was excited?
10 Fun Facts about the Space Needle
- At the time the space needle was built it was the tallest structure west of the Mississippi river.
- This Building is nothing short of amazing, and on a hot summer day it can even expand by an inch!
- They have huge elevators that hold up to 25 people, which makes your wait for a ride back down a short one! The elevator takes you up at 10 miles per hour, the entire trip takes 41 seconds. On windy days however it slows down to only half the speed at 5 miles an hour!
- A total of six people have parachuted from the tower… only 4 of those jumps were legal ones! (1975 was when the illegal ones occurred, 1996 legal one) Which goes to show sometimes you must break the rules in order to create new ones.
- The Jetsons was a show that debut the same year the space needle was open, the home the Jetson reside in was inspired by the needle.
- The observation decks sits at 520 ft. offering panoramic views of the city of Seattle, Height of the actual structure is 605 ft.
- The needle is built to resist wind blowing at 200 miles per hour! Also can withstand earthquakes with a magnitude up to 9.1!
- It was initially supposed to be design like a balloon, instead of its current flying saucer appearance.
- Was the tallest building in the city of Seattle, and in the state of Washington from 1962-1969.
- The space needle went almost half a century without being clean! Getting its first cleaning in 2008, since the grand opening in 1962!
Right as the sun went down
Cost and additional amenities
What you get for a small price ($22.00) is an elevator ride, access to the deck, and a spectacular view. Also with your admission cost you get one free emailed photo with several backdrops to choose from at the space needle. All you have to do is choose the photo you want from the interactive screens they have upstairs. You have the option to also buy an additional photo you can snap of yourself outside that produces a great flash, but I did not have the need to. However it was a great feature to have especially for a dark night. Also please keep in mind that they offer a combine ticket with the Chihuly Garden & Glass exhibit for ($36.00), which saves you $13.00 since the normal price is $27.00 normally just for the Chihuly. These locations are literally right next to each other, which makes them the perfect attractions to explore one after the other.
What you get for a small price ($22.00) is an elevator ride, access to the deck, and a spectacular view. Also with your admission cost you get one free emailed photo with several backdrops to choose from at the space needle. All you have to do is choose the photo you want from the interactive screens they have upstairs. You have the option to also buy an additional photo you can snap of yourself outside that produces a great flash, but I did not have the need to. However it was a great feature to have especially for a dark night. Also please keep in mind that they offer a combine ticket with the Chihuly Garden & Glass exhibit for ($36.00), which saves you $13.00 since the normal price is $27.00 normally just for the Chihuly. These locations are literally right next to each other, which makes them the perfect attractions to explore one after the other.
Admiring the beautiful Seattle
View from the Top
When to visit
Not to sound like a broken record but this is another location that you absolutely have to visit at night. You don’t want to step on to the deck, and just have the sun gleaming in your eye and not be able to appreciate the beauty of Seattle. Do yourself a favor and go when you can see all the lights, twinkling among the night sky. It’s a view & experience that you won’t want to miss when visiting Seattle!
Not to sound like a broken record but this is another location that you absolutely have to visit at night. You don’t want to step on to the deck, and just have the sun gleaming in your eye and not be able to appreciate the beauty of Seattle. Do yourself a favor and go when you can see all the lights, twinkling among the night sky. It’s a view & experience that you won’t want to miss when visiting Seattle!
Hours: Opens at 8am until Midnight!
Directions: Located near south lake union area, right next door to the Chihuly Exhibit!
Google Rating:4.3
Our Rating:5
Directions: Located near south lake union area, right next door to the Chihuly Exhibit!
Google Rating:4.3
Our Rating:5
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