The flying saucer–inspired observation tower is an icon for a reason.
The Emerald City is n’t just something that can be witness in the fictitious land of Oz . Seattle , Washington , similarly apportion this moniker due to its plush evergreen forests . But the metropolis ’s , nay the United States Department of State ’s , verdant environs is n’t the only ocular icon . allow ’s not forget Seattle ’s 605 - foot landmark which differentiates this metropolis ’s visible horizon : the Space Needle .
The iconic observation column is site in the Seattle Center , a hub of arts and entertainment with a sports domain , multiple theaters and execution hall , euphony venues , and fete grounds . The locality in which it stands , Lower Queen Anne , is just north of downtown .
Whether you ’re a local , a holidaymaker , or somewhere in between , there ’s always more to learn about this Space Age – theme iconic piece of the Seattle horizon .
The Museum of Pop Culture (designed by Frank O. Gehry) and the Space Needle at the Seattle Center in Seattle, Washington.|Photo by Wolfgang Kaehler/LightRocket via Getty Images
1 . It was built for the Seattle World ’s Fair . In 1962 , the famed architectural feat was made as a Space Age symbolisation for the World Fair . The first idea for the Needle was doodled onto a table napkin by a Seattle hotel executive during a visit to Stuttgart , Germany , a few age prior .
2 . It is indeed inspired by a UFO.Chief designer John Graham Jr. purposefully made the edifice ’s orotund observation deck take care like an unidentified flying objective in society to suit the Space Age theme .
3 . Elvis was there , too . This tower has been the matter of several melodious homages . Elvis , who take a romantic tantrum in the Space Needle for the 1963 musical - comedyIt Happened At The World ’s Fairat — you guessed it — the 1962 World ’s Fair , also write the songs feature in the musical on the topic of the Space Needle .
View of the Seattle skyline and Space Needle in evening light with Mount Rainier in background in Seattle, Washington.|Photo by Wolfgang Kaehler/LightRocket via Getty Images
4 . It used to have a mysterious mascot . child ’s Quran source Stephen Cosgrove created a eccentric name the Wheedle in a 1974 book appropriately entitledWheedle on the Needle . The unsure , orange beast would then become the mascot for the former Seattle NBA men ’s squad the SuperSonics .
5 . It used to have a mysterious mascot ( again).In 1997 , a sensationalistic , personify Space Needle mascot mention Sneedle was created to observe the tower ’s 35th anniversary . It was unfortunately curtly - know .
6 . It had a colour palette swap . The original colors of the needle were closer to the shade of its former mascot . The top was formerly Galaxy Gold , but , according to the building ’s website , it was more of a “ tangerine ” shade . The rest of the colors present on the original acerate leaf ( lily-white , green , and red ) were also given Space - Age - themed names : Astronaut White , Orbital Olive , and Re - Entry Red .
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7 . It harbor a secret time capsule from the ’ 80 . The Space Needle was the dwelling house of a time capsule . Staff “ buried ” the capsule in 1982 inside one of the tower ’s concealed steel beams on the pillar ’s reflection layer . It was later found and open in 2017 . letter , photographers , and postcard were receive inside . A new clip capsule ( with some of the 1982 artifacts ) will be opened in 2062 .
8 . It was the situation of a famous April Fools joke . In 1989 , a local video place publicise an April Fools prank segment that the Space Needle had return over . Despite the flashing qui vive during the segment tell watcher it was a laugh , emergency call lines were flooded with call option as The Space Needle itself received more than 700 call . One man in Spokane even stupefy in his motorcar and started driving to Seattle because his daughter worked in the building .
9 . The lift is the popular choice , but you may take the stair . The Space Needle was made by quite a few dissimilar components from dollars paid to retrace to the materials that make it up . The tugboat be a totality of $ 4.5 million . The total bit of bolts which go for the tower together come out to 74,000 . Want to get your step count up ? There are 848 steps stand between the bottom and observance deck .
Photo by Michael Ho Wai Lee/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images
10 . Rome was n’t built in a day , but the Space Needlewasbuilt in 400 Clarence Shepard Day Jr. . The Space Needle is sometimes called “ The 400 - day wonder ” as it was reconstruct in 400 days . The ironworkers who build this miracle of construction were being paid a wage of $ 3.92 per hour ( or $ 40 an hour adjusted for inflation ) to make the pillar on the 120 foot by 120 metrical unit plot of estate which was formerly the home of an old ardour station .
11 . There ’s a restaurant at the top — and there have been a few . Although primitively called Eye of The Needle ( after Top of the Needle was rejected ) there have been several restaurant names since the tug ’s origin . Emerald Suite assume over from 1980–1999 before being put back again by SkyCity from 2000 to 2017 . The eating house in the tug is now called the Loupe Lounge .
12 . It has the world ’s first and only revolving shabu base , 500 feet above Seattle . For the first prison term in its 57 - twelvemonth life , the Space Needle has a guileless flooring which requires a full - time glasskeeper team that cleans and maintains more than 20,000 square foot of chicken feed throughout the Needle each daytime .
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