Seattle Space Needle Views

On my most recent visit to Seattle this spring, I chose to visit the city’s most famous landmark: the 184 meter high Space Needle. Haven’t heard of the Space Needle before? You’ve probably seen it in the dozens of movies and TV shows shot in and around Seattle. Sleepless in Seattle, Austin Powers, and Grey’s Anatomy are just a few films/TV shows which feature this iconic landmark.

The Space Needle was built in 1961 in preparation for the 1962 World’s Fair, which was held in Seattle. Since the 1960s it’s estimated that approximately 50 million visitors have taken the short elevator ride to the top of the observation deck.

The structure was built to withstand heavy winds up to 300km per hour and earthquakes up to a 9.1 magnitude on the Richter scale!

Riding up one of the three elevators to reach the observation deck only takes 41 seconds! I was barely in the elevator when we shot up and arrived at the top. On very windy days the speed of the elevators slows down by half.

If you’re visiting on a sunny day in Seattle, this is the place to go. The views are stunning! From the top, you get a spectacular view onto downtown Seattle, Elliott Bay, Mount Rainier, Mount Baker, the Cascade Mountains and surrounding islands.

Info & Getting There

Purchasing an adult ticket upon arrival costs $21. I believe if you purchase tickets in advance online you might be able to get them a little bit cheaper.

Getting to the Space Needle is really easy because most locals can easily give you directions. There is also a tram that runs between Westlake Center Station in downtown Seattle and the Space Needle. It costs $2.25 and runs all day. If taking the tram from the Space Needle towards Westlake Center Station, note that Pike Place Market is only a few blocks away and easily reachable when traveling on foot.