Symbol of Seattle: a lofty landmark recognized worldwide, the Space Needle is the exclamation point of a great city's skyline - Product/Service Evaluation

Travel America, Nov-Dec, 2003 by Randy Mink

The SpaceBase store below offers more chances to spend money. Merchandise includes Space Noodle pasta, a peppermill in the shape of the Needle, and a model construction kit of the tower, plus a complete line of Space Needle logo wear.

After visiting the Needle, you could spend the rest of your day at Seattle Center, a 74-acre park with museums, stages, festival grounds, and carnival-type amusements. Families like the hands-on Pacific Science Center and Children's Museum. The Experience Music Project, with its wild architecture, is a must-see for fans of today's music. The Key Arena, home of pro basketball's SuperSonics, is built on the floor of Washington State's Tomorrow Land exhibition at the '62 World's Fair.

SPACE NEEDLE FUN FACTS

* When the Space Needle was built in 1962, it was the tallest building west of the Mississippi River.

* The Space Needle annually hosts more than one million visitors, making it the No. 1 tourist attraction in the Northwest.

* One of the best-selling souvenirs during the Seattle World's Fair was a Needle-shaped gold charm with a light in it ($75 in 1962).

* The Space Needle has 832 steps from the basement to the SkyCity restaurant.

* Each of the three computerized elevators, installed in 1993, has seven cables, even though one cable is strong enough to hold the entire weight. Each is equipped with a governor brake that would lock the elevator on the tracks in case all seven cables broke.

* Elevators travel at 10 m.p.h., or as fast as a parachutist or a raindrop falls to earth. A snowflake falls at about 3 m.p.h., so from an elevator during a snowstorm it appears to be snowing up.

* There have been six parachute jumps from the Needle: two were unauthorized, the other four part of a promotion.

* The Space Needle sways about one inch for every 10 m.p.h. of wind. It was built to withstand a wind velocity of 200 m.p.h. During the 1993 Inaugural Day storm, wind gusts reached 90 m.p.h. and the top was closed for an hour and half. The Ash Wednesday 2001 earthquake shook the Needle but did not cause damage.

* Twenty-five lightning rods protect the tower.

* The Space Needle is fastened to its foundation with 72 bolts, each 30 feet in length.

* During construction, it took 467 cement trucks an entire day to fill the foundation (230 feet deep by 120 feet across); this was the largest continuous concrete pour ever attempted in the West.

IF YOU GO ...

Admission: Tickets to ride the elevator to the observation deck are $12.50 for adults, $11 for seniors 65 and older, $10 for ages 11-17, and $5 for children 4-10. A special Day & Night ticket ($19 for adults) allows you to visit twice within a 24-hour period. For guests dining at SkyCity restaurant, there is no charge to ride the elevator.

CityPass is a money-saving ticket for six popular Seattle sights, including the Space Needle. Cost is $42 for adults, $29 for children 4-13. Good for nine days from the date of first use, it can be purchased at the Space Needle ticket booth on the day of your visit or online at www.citypass.com. Other participating sights are Woodland Park Zoo, Pacific Science Center, Seattle Aquarium, Argosy Cruises Harbor Tour, and Museum of Flight.