BUY TICKETS VISIT SKYCITY RESTAURANT EVENTS FIND YOUR PHOTO JOBS PRESS THE NEEDLE FACTS CAREERS CONTACT SPACE NEEDLE BEGINNINGS ARTIST INSPIRED STUTTGART TOWER GERMANY VISION DOMINANT CENTRAL STRUCTURE 1962 SEATTLE WORLDS FAIR NAPKIN COFFEE THE ARTIST EDWARD PRESIDENT OF WESTERN INTERNATIONAL HOTELS IMAGE WAS TO THE FOCUS FUTURISTIC WORLDS FAIR WHOSE THEME THE 21ST CENTURY PENCILED SHAPE SEATTLES INTERNATIONALLY RENOWN THE SPACE NEEDLE SUPPORTERS SOON MOVING SYMBOL DRAWING BOARD CONSTRUCTION PHASE OBSTACLE STRUCTURES INITIAL SKETCH DRAWING TETHERED BALLOON COLUMN ARCHITECT FRESH SUCCESS DESIGNING THE WORLDS FIRST SHOPPING MALL TURNED BALLOON DESIGN FLYING DOZEN ARCHITECTS TEAM SKETCHES IDEAS REACHED HALF THE NEXT HURDLES LOCATION IT HAD TO BE SITUATED ON LAND ACQUIRED PUBLIC USE INVESTIGATIONS PLOT THE SEARCH SUITABLE PIECE SOLD INVESTORS MONTHS THE HOWARD WRIGHT PROGRESSED UNDERGROUND FOUNDATION HOLE FEET DEEP CEMENT TRUCKS ENTIRE FILL LARGEST CONTINUOUS CONCRETE EVER ATTEMPTED IN THE WEST ONCE ITSELF THE CENTER GRAVITY ABOVE GROUND THE FIVE LEVEL DOME SPECIAL ATTENTION PAID REVOLVING RESTAURANT OBSERVATION DECK BALANCED THE RESTAURANT HORSEPOWER ELECTRIC IN KEEPING PAINT ASTRONAUT WHITE ORBITAL OLIVE HALO GALAXY GOLD SUNBURST PAGODA TALL DECEMBER 1961 OFFICIALLY MERE FOUR MONTHS LATER FIRST DAY WORLDS THE WEATHER STORMS FORCE CLOSURE COLUMBUS DAY STORM OF 1962 INAUGURATION DAY STORM WINDS 90 MILES WIND VELOCITY MILES PER HOUR EARTHQUAKE MEASURING RICHTER SCALE SEATTLE BAD RAP CLOUDY SKIES ACTUALLY GETS LESS RAIN DOWNTOWN SEATTLE SUNNY DAYS GIFT SHOP PRIVACY