Space Needle
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Why go
- The Loupe is a revolving glass floor that completes one turn every 45 minutes, with views of the city below.
- Indoor and outdoor viewing areas sit about 158 m (520 ft) above ground, with 360-degree views.
- The flying-saucer crown and hourglass legs reflect the World’s Fair’s Space Age theme.
- The Space Needle Skyliner is a double-deck, all-glass outdoor elevator that opened in 2025.
Opening hours
Today09:00 – 21:30Show all
What you see
- Views in clear weather include:
- Downtown Seattle
- Olympic Mountains
- Cascade Mountains
- Mount Rainier
- Mount Baker
- Elliott Bay
- Puget Sound islands
Know before you go
- Before taking the elevator, visitors pass through security and the Building the Marvel exhibit about the tower’s history.
Best time to visit
- Choose a clear day for views of the surrounding mountains and water.
Photo spots
- Open-air glass wallsLean back against the open-air glass walls for a selfie.Observation deck
- Glass benchesSit on glass benches and look through the floor-to-ceiling glass.Observation level
Interesting facts4
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605 feet
At 184 m (605 feet), the tower was once the tallest building west of the Mississippi River.
Space Needle - Wikipedia -
30 feet
Its concrete base is 9 m (30 feet) deep. It took 467 ready-mix trucks one day to pour, and 72 bolts, each 9 m (30 feet) long, secure the foundation.
Space Needle - Wikipedia -
8,660 metric
The steel tower weighs 8,660 metric tons and was engineered for winds up to 320 km/h and earthquakes up to magnitude 9.0.
Space Needle - Wikipedia -
848 steps
The main stairwell has 848 steps from the basement to the observation deck.
Space Needle - Wikipedia
Shorts
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Weird Things About Seattle! Part 1: The Space NeedleMonica Church Seattle Real Estate
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The Space Needle (Seattle, Washington)THE STAR REPORT
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The space needle secret you might not know...MR. OGG
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🏙 We went to the Space Needle in Seattle WA! It was SO SCARY!Troy & Anne
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Is visiting the Seattle Space Needle worth it?Alex Goes Global
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The Space Needle is OVERRATEDMojoTravels
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SPACE NEEDLE View, Seattle WashingtonHD Adventure
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WATCH: Video shows illegal BASE jump off Space NeedleKING 5 Seattle
History
The tower’s Googie design reflects the World’s Fair’s space-age theme. Its upper level has the Sunset Bar for drinks and snacks, TipTop Cafe for pies and soft-serve ice cream, and the Loupe Level bar for cocktails, local beer and wine. TipTop Cafe’s Piestream beside the box office serves fresh-baked pie and drinks.
- 1959After seeing Stuttgart’s broadcast tower with a restaurant, Edward E. Carlson sketched a fairground tower on a napkin and called it the Space Needle.
- 1960Victor Steinbrueck presented a buildable design with curved legs.
- April 17, 1961Construction began at a former fire-station site.
- 1962Privately financed and built by the Pentagram Corporation, the tower opened on the World’s Fair’s first day. It cost $4.5 million.
- 1962During the fair, the Carillon Americana recreated the sound of 538 bells. It was dismantled after the fair closed.
Show all
- April 19, 1999Seattle designated the tower a historic landmark.
- December 31, 1999The Legacy Light, also called Skybeam, first shone skyward.
- 2017SkyCity closed. The Legacy Light was retired.
- September 2017The Century Project renovation began and exposed the tower’s internal structure.
- August 2018The upper levels reopened, including The Loupe, an indoor deck with a revolving glass floor.
- 2025Modernization added new observation-deck glass and the first of three double-deck glass elevators.
How to get there
- TrainThe Seattle Center Monorail links downtown Seattle with Seattle Center near the tower. Connections to Sound Transit buses and light rail allow onward travel to the airport and beyond.
- BusSeveral buses stop nearby.
- ParkingSeattle Center parking facilities are a short walk from the tower.
Accessibility
- Accessibility elevator An accessibility elevator was added during the upper-level renovation.
Sources: Space Needle - Wikipedia · Space Needle - Wikipedia (part 2) · Space Needle - Wikipedia (part 3) · Seattle/Queen Anne-South Lake Union - Wikivoyag… · Space Needle · Plan Your Visit | Space Needle · About the Space Needle® · Space Needle - Wikipedia · Space Needle - Wikipedia · checked 27 Sep 2026
- Website
- spaceneedle.com/
- Phone
- 12069052100
Questions and answers
Where can I get drinks at the Space Needle?
The Sunset Bar is on the Upper Observation Level. The Loupe Level bar serves cocktails, local beer and wine.
What food is available at the Space Needle?
TipTop Cafe on the Upper Observation Level serves pies and soft-serve ice cream daily. TipTop Cafe’s Piestream beside the box office serves fresh-baked pie and drinks.
How long does it take to reach the top of the Space Needle?
Guests typically need about 30 minutes to get from the entrance to the top. The elevator ride takes 41 seconds.
What connects the Space Needle’s renovated levels?
Two Oculus Stairs connect the levels.
Does the Space Needle host a New Year’s Eve event?
It hosts a midnight fireworks show on New Year’s Eve.
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