Space Needle Facts

The space needle is an observation tower in the city of seattle washington state.

Space needle facts. It was built to withstand a wind velocity of 200 miles per hour doubling the 1962 building code requirements. The space needle was built for the 1962 world s fair. The space needle is 605 feet 184 m high and 138 feet 42 m wide.

During this time almost 20 000 people used the elevators every day. The tower s 520 saucer shaped top house offers visitors seattle s only 360 degree indoor and outdoor panoramic views of downtown mount rainier puget sound and the cascades and olympic mountain ranges. Space needle facts facts about the space needle summary.

Swarovski telescopes offer visitors a closer look at city and its surrounding area. Standing at 605 ft or 184 m the tower was once the tallest structure west of the mississippi river and is a dominant and famous part of the seattle skyline. The stuttgart tower in germany was the inspiration behind edward carlson s napkin sketch of the space needle design.

The tower is 138 ft 42 m wide weighs 9 550 short tons 8 660 metric tons and 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. Located at seattle center the space needle stands at 605 tall and is one of the most photographed structures in the world. The space needle stands 604 feet 184 meters tall which is only about half as high as the iconic eiffel tower in paris and only one third of the height of the famous cn tower in toronto.

Regardless upon completion in the year 1962 it was the tallest building west of the mississippi river replacing the smith tower in downtown seattle which had been the tallest since 1914. Space needle facts the space needle officially opened to the public on april 21 1962 for the century 21 exposition a space age themed world s fair. Height the space needle is 605 feet high 520 feet of which are above sea level.

The space needle sways approximately 1 inch for every 10 mph of wind. The space needle has an observation deck at 160 meters 520 feet and the rotating skycity restaurant at 150 meters 500 feet. Carlson the chief organizer of the world s fair sketched the space needle s original flying saucer concept on a napkin.