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During the 1993 Inaugural Day storm, wind gusts reached 90 mph and the top house was closed for an hour and a half. When winds around the Needle reach high speeds, 35 mph or higher, the elevators are designed to reduce their traveling speed to 5 mph for safety reasons.
SPACE NEEDLE CODE
It was built to withstand a wind velocity of 200 miles per hour, doubling the 1962 building code requirements. The Space Needle sways approximately 1 inch for every 10 mph of wind. All it takes to make the turntable revolve is a 1½ horsepower motor (originally it was a 1 hp motor). The restaurant turntable revolves on a track and wheel system that weighs roughly 125 tons, borrowed from railroad technology.
SPACE NEEDLE WINDOWS
The entire Space Needle saucer does not rotate, only a 14-foot ring next to the windows rotates on the Sk圜ity restaurant level. The most recent version is the Legacy Light, first illuminated on New Year’s Eve 1999/2000. The Committee Hoping for Extra-Terrestrial Encounters to Save the Earth (CHEESE) claims to have plans from the 1962 World’s Fair that show the Space Needle was constructed to send transmissions to advanced beings in other solar systems.įrom the time of its construction, the Space Needle has always had a light atop the structure. The Pentagram Corporation has since become the Space Needle LLC. In 1977 Bagley Wright, Skinner and Clapp sold their interests to Howard S. Wright, architect John Graham, financier Ned Skinner, and timber magnate Norton Clapp. The five principals who organized the “Pentagram Corporation” to build the Space Needle were financier Bagley Wright, contractor Howard S. The real-life counterpart of the Space-Needle was remodeled in 2017- 2018 to feature breathtaking glass floors on the restaurant and observation decks.Īs of 2018, the real-life restaurant is named "Sk圜ity", or "Sk圜ity at the Needle". There are two high speed elevators, and one freight elevator (which moves at 5 mph) On windy days, the elevators slow to 5 miles per hour (2.2 m/s). Visitors can reach the top of the Space Needle by elevators that travel at 10 miles per hour (4.5 m/s). Not widely known, except to the very well-connected, the Eye of the Needle has a secure private dining room equipped with a hermetic circle and state-of-the-art white noise generators for those private discussions. Still, it is a Seattle experience not to be missed. Tables at the Eye of the Needle fill quickly, and the prices are not cheap.
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By the time the meal is over, diners will have enjoyed a birds-eye-view of the whole city. The restaurant slowly rotates and the view is breathtaking. The circular restaurant and bar is located just beneath the observation deck and is reached by several elevators from the ground or observation deck. Of the two restaurants in the Space Needle, this one is the best and most well-known. The revolving restaurant in the Space Needle is upscale and is called " Eye of the Needle". Images of the Seattle skyline often show the Space Needle prominently, above skyscrapers and Mount Rainier.
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It has an observation deck at 520 ft (160 m) and the rotating restaurant at 500 ft (150 m). The downtown Seattle skyline, as well as the Olympic and Cascade Mountains, Mount Rainier, Mount Baker, Elliott Bay and surrounding islands can be viewed from the top of the Needle. It was built in the Seattle Center for the 1962 World's Fair. The Space Needle comes with two entries, one during the day, and the other in the evening, which was a fun surprise.The Space Needle is an observation tower, landmark of the Pacific Northwest, and an icon of Seattle. The lines were relatively short, and we had no issues getting in when presenting out passes. Our tickets were available to use just a few minutes after purchasing them. The Woodland Park Zoo was beautiful, and has a wide variety of animals to see, and very family friendly. The Aquarium is right by the water and Pike Place Market, and several of their exhibits look to use sea water and wave simulation for some of their animals. Easy & Fun Way to Explore Seattle! My husband and I purchased Seattle CitiPasses for our visit and loved getting to see what Seattle had to offer! Unfortunately, the harbor tours that are usually included in the "pick 5" options was not available due to Covid, however, the 5 attractions included and open are fantastic! 3 of the 5 attractions are right next to each other at the Seattle Center (Museum of Pop Culture, Space Needle & Chihuly Garden) so be sure to schedule some time to explore each of these sites! The other two sites are also very interesting.
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