There’s a Time Capsule Locked Until 2062 Inside Seattle’s Most Iconic Building

The Space Needle

It’s not just Seattle’s favorite pointy building. This 605-foot marvel of engineering has survived earthquakes, lightning strikes, and decades of blurry tourist photos. And its best stories are the ones you probably haven’t heard.

For one, did you know that it was completed just 400 days for the 1962 World’s Fair? Scroll right for more cool facts.

The SkyCity Doesn’t Rotate Every Hour

The floor in the SkyCity restaurant makes a complete circle every 47 minutes, not every hour as many people believe. A small motor (single 1.5 horsepower motor) keeps the 125-ton outer ring moving smoothly around fixed tables.

Servers have gotten used to tracking their moving tables while serving millions of meals over the years. As guests enjoy their food, they get to see every angle of Seattle, from the busy downtown streets to the quiet waters of Puget Sound.

That Elevator is FAST

These speedy elevators could zip visitors from the ground to the top in 41 seconds, moving at 10 miles per hour. In 2018, the Space Needle got new glass elevators that let people see the city as they go up.

Another thing is that back in 1962, elevator operators were selected based on their looks and height. Joan Nykreim, a former elevator operator, met her husband at the Space Needle and was featured in the Elvis Presley movie “It Happened at the World’s Fair.”

The Colors Have Pretty Fancy Names

The Space Needle wasn’t always the white color you see today. It started with “Galaxy Gold” for the roof, along with “Astronaut White” for the tower, “Orbital Olive” for the core, and “Re-entry Red” for the halo.

The tower’s architect created this unique color just for the World’s Fair, and its exact formula remains a secret. Throughout the day, the paint seems to change color as the sun moves across the sky, shifting from bright white at noon to a soft cream color at sunset.

It Has a Secret 25-Ton Concrete Counterweight

Below ground, the Space Needle’s base goes down 30 feet and spreads out 120 feet wide. Engineers used 72 massive bolts, each 30 feet long, to anchor the tower to this huge underground base.

The foundation contains so much concrete and steel, about 5,850 tons of concrete and 250 tons of steel bars, that it weighs as much as the entire tower above it.

Yes, It’s Meant to Look Like a UFO

Engineers (envisioned by architect John Graham Jr.) purposely made the top of the Space Needle look like a UFO landing on the tower. This circular platform features windows that tilt slightly outward.

You can walk around the entire observation deck, where special glass panels lean out at a 14-degree angle to give a clear view of the city below. The original design included thick glass barriers and slanted walls for safety, though metal railings weren’t added until 1981.

Inspired by Germany & Hawaii

The Space Needle started as a simple drawing on a restaurant napkin in 1959 by Edward E. Carlson. The lead designer got his inspiration from a Stuttgart TV Tower in Germany, but he added a rotating restaurant after seeing one in Hawaii.

Before construction could begin, the design went through 43 different versions. The final plans needed 12 different structural engineers to ensure safe integration and structural integrity. The top spire still has its original gas torch system, though it’s only used on special occasions now.

It’s Surprisingly Stable

For such a tall building, the Space Needle barely moves in the wind (1 inch of sway for every 10 mph of wind speed). This stability comes from the 74.4 million pounds of concrete.

The tower has 25 lightning rods to handle Seattle’s lightning strikes, which usually hit about three times per year. Special sensors throughout the building constantly check its movement and send data to computers that monitor how well the structure is holding up.

What Makes the Glass Floor Special

In 2018, the Space Needle added the world’s first rotating glass floor called “The Loupe.” This floor uses 10 layers of glass collectively weighing 37 tons.

It took three years to plan and test this 37-ton glass floor, which lets visitors see the tower’s machinery working below their feet. The floor completes a full rotation every 45 minutes.

The top layer of the glass floor is a replaceable “scuff” layer designed to prevent visible marks from footwear.

There are a Couple of Time Capsules in There

In 1982, for the Space Needle’s 20th anniversary, a time capsule was hidden inside a steel beam on the observation deck. It held letters, photos, postcards, and even a master key to the Needle. In 2017, workers found it, long forgotten since its planned 2002 opening.

Then, in 2019, a new capsule was created by Andries Breedt, filled with treasures like messages from Pearl Jam, a Super Bowl prediction, an Amazon share, a Twinkie, and USPS Forever Stamps. It’s scheduled to be opened on April 21, 2062, the Space Needle’s 100th anniversary.

The Needle Has Survived Major Earthquakes

The Space Needle has successfully withstood several earthquakes since its construction. Its concrete base and steel frame, engineered to absorb shock, make it resilient to seismic activity, including the 1965 Seattle earthquake.

The most notable was the 2001 Nisqually earthquake, which had a magnitude of 6.8 and caused significant shaking in the Pacific Northwest.

How The Tower Works Today

The Space Needle’s pointed top holds 25 lightning rods, 12 radio antennas, 24 aircraft warning lights, three weather stations, and 32 copper cables.

Special tools at the very top measure wind, temperature, and air pressure from 605 feet in the air. The building has 15 backup power generators, three separate water supplies, and several escape routes that can handle up to 1,200 visitors at once.