Seattle’s iconic Space Needle turned out to be one of our favorite activities, even on a rainy and cloudy day. Tickets were included with our pre-purchased Seattle Pass. Walking into the lobby immediately felt like we were entering an episode of the Jestsons. This made sense, because the Space Needle was built during the 1962 World Fair, a time when many Americans had their eyes to the sky and space travel.
Bottom of the Needle
Shopping
The huge gift shop had standard Seattle trinkets, clothing, and swag, and was accessible to people visiting Seattle Center even if they didn’t have a ticket to go to the top of the needle.
Getting to the Top
After scanning our ticket, we entered a queue that circled the walls toward two elevators. The wait was relatively short, and historic information and photos helped the time pass.
Top of the Needle
Things to Do at the Top
The top floor provided stunning floor to ceiling views both from indoor and outdoor locations. Food and drinks were available at Atmos Cafe, with dining tables nearby.
Photo Ops
The glass in the outdoor viewing area leaned slightly outward, and small openings in the glass gave even clearer photo opportunities. It was cloudy and rainy during our visit, but we still had decent visibility, with just a hint of Mount Rainier in the distance.
Rotating Floor
A stairway took us down a level. The Loupe Lounge took up a large portion of this floor, with upscale beverage and food tasting options available by booking in advance. This wouldn’t have been an option for us with Alice; everyone in the party must be 21+ to enter the seating area of the bar.
Rotating Floor
The claim to fame on this level was the Loupe, the world’s only rotating glass floor. Just the outside rotated, and gave us a little motion sickness, so we found a static glass floor just under the stairway to enjoy the view below.
