Sky View Observatory
The Sky View Observatory is located on the 73rd floor of Columbia Center (formerly Bank of America Tower) and also known as Columbia Tower.
The Sky View Observatory features 360 degree views of Seattle and the surrounding region. Affordably priced and open seven days a week, this observatory sits at a height of over 900 feet and is an outstanding value and venue for residents and visitors alike.
Come visit Columbia Center's Sky View Observatory for a spectacular view. We are open 7 days a week 10AM to 8PM. The fee is $12.50 for adults and $9 for seniors, students and children five to twelve. It is free for children under the age of five!
The 76- story Columbia Center has been a landmark of the Seattle skyline since its opening in 1985. It was formerly known as the Bank of America Tower and Columbia Seafirst Center. This Seattle landmark is the tallest building in Washington State and the Pacific Northwest region.
Reaching heights of 284.2 m (932 ft) it is nearly twice the size of the Space Needle, and at one point it was the tallest skyscraper west of the Mississippi River! It is currently the fourth tallest building west of the Mississippi, the second tallest building on the West Coast, and the twentieth tallest building in the United States. It contains seventy-six stories of class-A office and retail space and six stories of subterranean parking, making it the building with the most stories west of the Mississippi.
Visiting the Sky View Observatory:
To get to the Observatory make your way to the main lobby on the fourth floor of the Columbia Center via the main entrance on 5th Avenue, the elevators from the parking garage, or the escalators from the 1st floor Atrium off of 4th Avenue. Find the elevator bank labeled 37-76 and take the elevator to the Sky Lobby on the 40th floor (where the highest Starbucks in the world is located). As you exit the elevator an automated voice will tell you which direction to turn. Proceed to the elevators that are labeled "66-76". Once in the elevator press "73" and you will arrive at the tallest public view in the west in seconds!
About the Building:
Columbia Center, with its innovative structure composed of three interlocking concave facades, is an instantly recognizable landmark on the Seattle skyline. Occupying a full city block in the heart of Seattle's financial district, the 943 foot tower offers spectacular views of Puget Sound, Mount Rainier, and the surrounding territory from its many offices and the public observatory on the 73rd floor. Its convenient location provides easy access to Interstate 5, most major bus lines and light rail service in the Downtown Transit Tunnel. The building is just a few blocks from the historic Pike Place Market and a mere 20 minutes from Sea-Tac International Airport.
Developed by Martin Selig, the 76-story, 1.5 million square foot Columbia Center was completed in 1985. Clad in smoked tempered glass and Carnelian granite, the structure boasts 8,800 windows, 2,100 hydronic heat pumps, 48 elevators, and 6 escalators. The many technical innovations required for such a large scale project, such as viscoelastic dampers and triangle shaped bracing, enable Columbia Center to withstand earthquakes and hurricane force winds, making it one of the strongest and safest buildings in the Pacific Northwest.
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