Space Needle Guide, Meaning , Facts, Information and Description
The Space Needle is perhaps Seattle's most recognizable landmark. Located on the grounds of Seattle Center, it was built for the Century 21 Exposition, the 1962 World's Fair. The Space Needle is a tower 184 m (605 feet) high and 42 m (138 feet) wide at its widest that weighs 9,550 tons. It is built to withstand winds of up to 200 mph and earthquakes up to 9.1 magnitude. It has 25 lightning rods on the roof to withstand lightning strikes.
The Space Needle features an observation deck, restaurant and gift shop. Visitors can reach the top via elevators that travel at 10 mph. This trip takes 43 seconds and some tourists wait in hour-long lines in order to ascend to the top of the tower. It was the tallest building west of the Mississippi River at the time it was built.
Three people have committed suicide by leaping from the Space Needle's observation platform. Two of them jumped in 1974, before a "safety grid" was installed. The third suicide took place four years later in 1978. No suicides have been reported since then.
See also: List of towers