It’s Seattle’s new Best Thing, says Ronald Holden at Curbed, and we’re inclined to agree with him. The Sky View Observatory taking up the 73rd floor of the Columbia Center — more than 900 feet up in the sky — now offers a 360ish-degree view of the Puget Sound region for $12.50, adults. (Fair warning: An hour of parking in the basement at 5th & Columbia will set you back $11.50.) Even on cloudy days, you may still get a great view, given how low the marine layer tends to sit.
We had no idea it was up there, so we can’t tell you what a difference its newly redesigned layout makes in contrast to the old 270-degree view. (A piddling 270 degrees? We know just what expression you made there.) But it’s well worth the two-elevator trek (you switch cars on the 40th floor).
Just about every inch of available space on the interior is now paneled with informational displays, a blend of history, geography, architecture, and even sports factoids. You learn about the Olympic mountain range, the Cascades and the Ring of Fire, waterways and the Port of Seattle, and of course the architect behind the Columbia Center, Chester L. Lindsey.
Snacks and beverages are on hand if you want to savor a Tim’s Cascade potato chip while surveying the Cascades, or Beecher’s cheese while peering down at Pike Place Market. For that $12.50 (it’s $9 for kids 6-12, seniors, students, and military — kids 5 and under are free), you also get to borrow a free pair of binoculars. The Observatory is open daily from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., except when it’s closed a private event or holidays (such as upcoming Labor Day).
This puts us in mind of a vertical tour of Seattle. Start with the water tower in Volunteer Park, on Capitol Hill. That has the benefit of being free, with free parking. Then head downtown, to 506 Second Avenue, to tour the iconic Smith Tower ($7.50). That will give you some perspective on 73 floors when you look down from the Sky View Observatory and see the tiny little Smith Tower below you. To step down without losing elevation entirely, drop in for drinks at Frolik on 5th Avenue, with its outdoor deck –that’s five stories above the street.
