space needle.

I'm getting excited for my trip to Seattle next week! Sean and I went last year, but didn't get to see much. We rented a car and were too scared to go exploring :) This time I'm going with Heather. We're not renting a car because I don't dare drive in a strange city... so we are taking a cab to the Space Needle on Thursday night. We're going to eat at the restaurant, but they told me the observation deck will be closing early for a private event :( I did a little research on wikipedia about the Space Needle for fun. This may bore the daylights out of you, but here are some tidbits I found interesting:

*The Space Needle was the tallest building west of the Mississippi when it was completed in 1962.

*It was built to withstand winds of up to 200mph and earthquakes up to 9.5 magnitude. It also has 25 lightning rods on the roof to prevent lightning damage.

*In Spongebob Squarepants, there is a building called the Sea Needle, a parody of the Space Needle :)

*It was built in 1962 for the Seattle World's Fair.

*The Legacy Light or Skybeam shines skyward from the top of the SN to honor national holidays and special occasions in Seattle. It has generally been used fewer than a dozen time per year. It remained lit for 12 days in a row from 09.11.01 to 09.22.01 in response to the September 11 attacks.

*Originally there were 2 restaurants atop the SN: Eye of the Needle & Emerald Suite. These were closed in 2000 to make way for a larger restaurant, SkyCity.

*The restaurant revolves 360 degrees in exactly 47 minutes.

*3 people have committed suicide by leaping from the SN's observation platform {all in the 1970's}.

*On May 19, 2007 the SN welcomed its 45 millionth visitor. The visitor won a trip for 2 to Paris which included a VIP dinner at the Eiffel Tower.

*The foundation alone weighs 6000 tons and there are 250 tons of reinforcing steel in the base. The concrete base weighs the same as the above-ground structure.

*In the novel Invisible Monsters by Chuch Palahniuk, the characters visit the top fo the SN. They write secrets on pieces of paper, which they throw off the deck.

*There are 832 steps from the basement to the restaurants on the observation deck.