Definitely a must see in the City of Seattle! I was looking up things to do on my last day in Puget Sound, and one of the suggestions I received from a Yelp friend was visiting the Space Needle. Actually, she even recommended I visit the lounge, called The Loupe, but apparently, that requires reservations, which I didn't make. When you get in, you'll need to purchase tickets before entering. Credit card payments are only accepted at the ticket window, but there are free cash-to-card machines near the south entrance per a sign by the box office. Another thing to consider is that strollers and wheeled luggage aren't allowed inside the Space Needle; there's a designated area for strollers and lockers for your other belongings. After scanning your ticket at the gate, you're then free to enter the Space Needle, where you're first met with a timeline of the construction of the Space Needle, which was built in about a year just in time for the 1962 World's Fair. You'll also get to see three different scale models of the Space Needle construction and even a few interactive displays on the timeline. You'll also get a brief look at the gift shop on the lower level before you board the elevator to the top floors. The only thing disappointing about the timeline is knowing how cheap prices were back then; I wish it only cost $1 to get in today! lol The elevator ride is about 40 seconds long, so get your cameras ready at this point! There will be a guide who will explain the nearby attractions you can see on your way up to the observation deck. Well, not quite the observation deck yet. That elevator lets you off on the revolving glass floor, which is the only one in the world! It takes about 45 to 47 minutes to make one full revolution around the Space Needle. As scary as it looks if you have a fear of heights like I do, rest assured there's plenty of layers of glass to support all the visitors standing 500 feet above the ground! On this floor, there's The Loupe Lounge, which like I said, you need a reservation for. I didn't know this until after my visit, but apparently, a reservation to The Loupe Lounge would also include admission to the Space Needle. So while it may cost a lot just for a culinary and cocktail experience on the only revolving glass floor in the world, knowing that you won't have to double-dip on paying to get inside will make it feel more affordable and possibly cost-effective. From the revolving glass floor, there's a stairwell that you can take to get to the observation deck, and the restrooms are in the middle of that stairwell. On the observation deck, you can either be indoors or outdoors. The elevator guide mentioned there is no time limit as to how long we can remain on the observation deck, yet there's also a maximum occupancy of 163 on the exterior portion of the deck. Even though I usually don't do selfies, I just had to do one at a Skyhigh Selfie station on the observation deck. You scan a QR code, and it takes you to a website that has instructions on how to get a Skyhigh Selfie photo. The instructions are also listed on a mat where you're supposed to stand for the photo. The camera is pretty high above, so look up! Not down! Once your photo is taken, you'll have an option to access your photo via the Spacebook. There are kiosks inside the observation deck where you can see your photo, but as long as you keep your admission ticket, you shouldn't have any problems seeing it, even after you depart. There's no employee to help with Skyhigh Selfies, and one problem I can see is other visitors photobombing if they're not paying close attention. I'm sure it gets much busier during the summer, but I went during the fall when it was cold and cloudy, hence why there weren't as many visitors. Afterwards, there will be an elevator that will take you all the way down to the gift shop, which is one floor below the timeline. The elevator guide for that one didn't explain the nearby attractions, but was happy enough to answer questions. I asked where T-Mobile Park (home of the Seattle Mariners) was, and it caused quite a conversation inside the elevator before we reached the gift shop lol. The gift shop has a multitude of gifts ranging from generic Seattle shirts to Space Needle memorabilia. I made sure to get a few gifts before leaving, not knowing when would be the next time I'd visit the Space Needle. Ticket prices are pretty pricey, however. Expect to spend at least $50 per person just to get in, but if you'd also like to see the Chihuly Garden and Glass on the same visit, it's another $20 for that. Since I don't even live in the Pacific Northwest, it'd be silly for me to consider the Season or CityPass, but if you do, definitely consider them! A $99 Season Pass would get you unlimited entries until May 31, so if you visit at least twice, it's worth getting! I can see the Space Needle being a 4-star experience when it's crowded. For me, it was 5 stars since it wasn't nearly as crowded. read more