Fifty years ago, the Century 21 Exposition, also known as the Seattle World’s Fair, opened on April 21 in Seattle, Wash. Visitors were instantly drawn to the futuristic look of the Space Needle, a slender tower that soars over the city to a height of 605 feet.
Since then, the Space Needle has become an iconic symbol of Seattle and the entire Pacific Northwest. It’s a top visitor attraction in the “Emerald City,” so named for its verdant parks and evergreen forests.
An elevator will take you up the Space Needle to the Sky City Restaurant, where you can dine on regional cuisine and drink in a fabulous view of the Cascade Mountains to the east, Mount Rainier to the southeast, and the rugged Olympic Peninsula to the west. Just above the restaurant is an observation platform, which has welcomed the likes of Elvis Presley, Bono, Mike Myers and John Travolta.
There’s more to see and do on the former grounds of the World’s Fair, now called the Seattle Center. The Pacific Science Center museum includes two IMAX theaters, a tropical butterfly house, a planetarium and hundreds of hands-on science exhibits.
The EMP (formerly Experience Music Project) Museum, housed in an incredible building designed by Frank Gehry, showcases the history of music through rare memorabilia and multimedia displays. You can also catch a performance of the Seattle Shakespeare Company at the Center House Theater.
While in Seattle, visit some of the city’s other famous sites. Go to the Pike Place Fish market to see the workers throwing huge fish through the air before they are wrapped up for customers. Then, explore the rest of the Public Market Center, the oldest continually operated public farmers’ market in the U.S.
Seattle is also known as “Jet City” due to the presence of the Boeing Company, one of the world’s largest aircraft manufacturers. Boeing’s Future of Flight Aviation Center in the suburb of Everett offers tours of the massive assembly factory where Boeing’s 747, 767, 777 and the new 787 Dreamliner are built.
For many more ideas about things to see and do in beautiful, green Seattle, talk with your travel professional.
This travel column was written by BlueRibbonNews.com special contributor Robbert van Bloemendaal, an experienced world traveler, native of Australia, an Ambassador with the Rowlett Chamber of Commerce, and president of Travel Leaders of Rowlett.
Read Robbert’s Top Ten US Vacation Destinations for 2012
Read Robbert’s Top International Vacation Destinations for 2012
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