Architectural Sites, Queen Anne
Fodor's Review:
The distinctive exterior of the 520-foot-high Space Needle is visible throughout much of the city -- but the view from the inside out is even better. A 42-second elevator ride up to the circular observation deck yields 360-degree vistas of Elliott Bay, Queen Anne Hill, the University of Washington campus, and the Cascade Range. The Needle was built just in time for the World's Fair in 1962, but has since been refurbished with educational signs, interactive trivia game stations for kids, and the glass-enclosed SpaceBase store and Pavilion spiraling around the base of the tower. Don't waste your money dining at the top-floor SkyCity revolving restaurant; though eating there gets you free admission to the observation deck, the food is overpriced and often mediocre. And don't bother doing the trip at all on rainy days. Note that if you can't decide whether you want the daytime or nighttime view, for $17 you can buy a ticket that allows you to visit twice in one day.
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