Space Needle and Seattle Center (1962 World's Fair grounds)

The Space Needle and Seattle Center at 400 Broad St in Seattle, Washington, occupy the grounds of the Century 21 Exposition, the world's fair that ran from April 21 to October 21, 1962. The fair was conceived by Seattle civic leaders as a showcase of science and the Space Age at the height of the Cold War, and it drew nearly 10 million visits. The Space Needle was sketched by Edward E. Carlson, the hotelier who proposed a tall observation tower, and developed by the architect John Graham and associates with Victor Steinbrueck, and it was completed in less than a year. It stands 605 feet tall, with an observation deck at 520 feet and a revolving restaurant, and it was designed to withstand high winds and earthquakes. It became a Seattle landmark in 1999. A major renovation completed in 2018 added floor-to-ceiling glass walls and The Loupe, a rotating glass floor. Other surviving fair buildings include the Pacific Science Center, with the white arches designed by the architect Minoru Yamasaki, the Alweg Monorail that still runs a short trip between Seattle Center and Westlake, the Seattle Center Armory, now the Armory food hall and, nearby, the Climate Pledge Arena, rebuilt from the 1962 Coliseum with its original roof structure retained. The International Fountain, built for the fair and rebuilt in 1995, is a popular summer gathering spot. Today Seattle Center also hosts museums, theaters, the Chihuly Garden and Glass exhibit and festivals, so the entire campus is a living part of the city, and the original fair is recalled through exhibits, photographs and the buildings themselves. The grounds are free to enter, while the Space Needle charges for its observation deck, and visitors can buy timed tickets online. Restoration has focused on keeping the original profile while adding modern materials, and the site is often the first thing visitors see when approaching Seattle from the north.