The
Space Needle is perhaps
Seattle's most recognizable landmark. Built for the
Century 21 Exposition, the
1962 World's Fair, it is a 605-foot-high, 138-foot-wide tower that weighs 9,550 tons. It features an observation deck and restaurant; access to the top is via elevators that travel at 10 mph. It was the tallest building west of the
Mississippi River at the time it was built.