Space Needle

Seattle’s signature monument, the Space Needle (originally called ‘The Space Cage’) was designed by Victor Steinbrueck and John Graham Jr, reportedly based on the napkin scribblings of World’s Fair organizer Eddie Carlson. The part that’s visible above ground weighs an astounding 3700 tons. The tower takes advantage of its 520ft-high observation deck – offering 360-degree views of Seattle and surrounding areas – to bombard visitors with historical information and interpretive displays. On clear days, zip to the top on the elevators (43 seconds) for excellent views of downtown, Lake Union, Mt Rainier and the Olympic Range mountains way across Puget Sound; don’t bother spending the cash on cloudy days. If you’re coming up to take aerial photos, be forewarned that there’s fencing around the observation deck’s perimeter, making clear shots impossible. Its revolving restaurant, Sky City, is way overpriced for the quality, but reservations in the dining room do give you a free ride up the elevator.