Space Needle

The Space Needle is perhaps Seattle's most recognizable landmark. Built for the Century 21 Exposition, the 1962 World's Fair, it is a 607-foot-high, 138-foot-wide tower that weighs 9,550 tons. The needle is built to withstand winds of up to 200 mph and has 25 lightning rods on the roof to withstand lightning strikes. It features an observation deck and restaurant; access to the top is via elevators that travel at 10 mph. This trip takes 43 seconds and some tourists wait in hour long lines in order to ascend to the top of the tower. It was the tallest building west of the Mississippi River at the time it was built.