Space Needle
Seattle’s World’s Fair tower from 1962, now with a rotating glass floor high above the city.
Photo: Seattle Municipal Archives · CC BY 2.0
Space Needle guide: the observation decks, The Loupe glass floor, timed tickets, views of Mount Rainier, the Seattle Center, Chihuly Garden and Glass and the Monorail.
What to expect
Built for the 1962 World’s Fair, the Space Needle rises 184 meters above the Seattle Center and quickly became the symbol of the city. Its top was designed to look like a flying saucer, and the elevator ride to the observation level takes about 41 seconds.
A renovation finished in 2018 replaced the old walls and railings with floor-to-ceiling glass and added The Loupe, the world’s first rotating glass floor, which lets you look straight down at the city. On clear days the view takes in downtown, Elliott Bay, the Cascades and Mount Rainier.
The tower stands in the Seattle Center, the former fairgrounds, next to Chihuly Garden and Glass, with its glass sculptures by Dale Chihuly, and the Museum of Pop Culture. The Monorail, also built for the fair, connects the center with downtown in about two minutes.
Tickets are sold for timed entry, and combination tickets with Chihuly Garden and Glass save money if you plan to see both.
Space Needle: top things to do
- 1The rotating glass floor of The Loupe
- 2Mount Rainier from the observation deck on a clear day
- 3Chihuly Garden and Glass next door
- 4The 1962 Monorail to downtown
Best time to visit
All year; summer and early fall bring the most clear days for mountain views.
Insider tips
- Book a timed ticket online; prices change with the time of day.
- Check the forecast first, because in low cloud you may see nothing at all.
- Take the Monorail from Westlake Center instead of paying for parking.
Fees, passes and parking
- Federal park passes such as America the Beautiful are not valid here.
- Tickets are sold for a time slot and the price changes with the time of day; sunset slots cost most. Buy on the official site.
Checked Oct 28, 2026. Official prices
Gas and fast charging nearby
307 gas stations within 20 km
- 0.2 km 76 open 24 hours
- 0.4 km Shell open 24 hours
- 0.6 km Shell open 24 hours · diesel
- 0.7 km Shell
- 1.4 km Shell open 24 hours
- 2.2 km 76 open 24 hours
- 0.9 km Greenlots Fast chargers (Shell Recharge Solutions)
- 1.8 km Tesla Supercharger Fast chargers (Supercharger)
- 1.8 km Tesla Supercharger Fast chargers (Supercharger)
- 1.8 km City Light Waterfront Fast chargers (ChargePoint)
OpenStreetMap data, Oct 28, 2026.
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