The Space Needle officially opened to the public on April 21, 1962 for the Century 21 Exposition, a space age-themed world’s fair.
Edward E. Carlson, the chief organizer of the World’s Fair, sketched the Space Needle’s original flying saucer concept on a napkin. The unique design quickly made the tower one of the most recognizable structures in the world, and the proud symbol of Seattle.
It took approximately 400 days to build the Space Needle.
The Space Needle’s graceful, wasp-waisted tower shape was inspired by an abstract sculpture by artist David Lemon titled, “the Feminine One.”
Approximately 1.3 million guests visit the Space Needle per year, and nearly 60 million visitors have visited the tower since it opened in 1962.
It cost $4.5 million to build the Space Needle in 1962. In 2018, the Century Project renovation cost closer to $100 million.
The Space Needle is privately owned by the Wright family and sits on a 120-foot by 120-foot private parcel of land on the Seattle Center campus. The Space Needle is the only private property on the Seattle Center’s 74-acre campus.
The Space Needle stands at 605 feet tall.
The Space Needle offers 360-degree views from its three main viewing areas – an indoor observation deck and open-air viewing area located at 520 feet, and an observation level featuring a revolving glass floor located 500 feet above ground.
The Space Needle installed The Loupe, the world’s first revolving glass floor, in 2018. The Loupe offers never-seen-before views of the Space Needle’s unique architecture, elevators, and the city below.
The Space Needle was designated as an official landmark in 1999.
It takes 43 seconds to travel in a Space Needle elevator from the ground to the tower’s top level, 520 feet above Seattle.