This site provides eagle views of all Seattle. If "fear of heights" is not a problem, this is a must visit to get even better views than the Space Needle as it is twice as tall as the Needle. read more

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This observatory is located on the 73rd floor of the Columbia Center. We came in the evening on a rainy day so there were not that many people around. This was our favorite view of Seattle compared to Kerry Park and the Space Needle. They are different views, but still this was my favorite. We spent about 2 hours here. There are 3 options for tickets: General admission (standard) which includes the Stunning 360-Degree Views; upgraded experience (combination) which includes the Stunning 360-Degree Views, Priority Lane for Entry and Exit, and $5 Voucher that can be used at the Sky View Café or gift shop; lastly the experience the best (all-inclusive) which includes all the above, $10 Voucher that can be used at the Sky View Café or gift shop and reserved Window Seating. We purchased the combination ticket, but since it was a rainy day there wasn't much benefit to it. There weren't people waiting to enter or exit. However, we did use our $5 vouchers at the bar. Since it was near St. Patrick's day, they had some speciality cocktails. I had the four leaf clover-skyy raspberry vodka, peach snaps, pineapple juice, and green food coloring. My husband ordered the tropical autumn-Captain Morgan dark rum, special mix of pineapple and orange juice with almond milk infused with cinnamon. The drinks tasted nice. We sat by the window and enjoyed the views with our drinks. I highly recommend going up to the 73rd floor to see the views, but probably the general admission ticket is sufficient. read more

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Fatima made this an extra special experience for us - thank you for going out of your way to recognize my dad's 94th birthday!

Highly recommend coming on a clear day to see Rainier. The price is a little steep, but the view is really lovely and it's the best in Seattle as the tallest building. There's 360 degree visibility. There are reserved tables but there's no need for that. They have some drinks and small snacks up there too if you'd like. The staff are friendly. read more

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This is a great place with stunning views all over the city. I came in 30m right before sunset but the clouds didn't help. Anyways it was still breath taking views from all over. They have a bar with some bites to eat as well. If you haven't been check it out! I got my ticket on their website and they have a combo that includes admission here and a ferry cruise! read more

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Come with me to the Skyview Observatory on the 73rd floor of the Columbia Center at 902 feet in the sky! Yes we were higher than the Space Needle! Stunning views of Mount Rainier, Mount Baker, Elliott Bay, and the Olympic Mountains. Delicious nibbles & cocktails. My favorite was the Magnolia Mule with Rachel's Ginger Beer. The best ginger beer ever & it's local! Iconic! I learned so much & had an amazing time! "Highly" recommend. Ani approved. read more

Sky View Observatory - Observatories Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Views are incredible! Visit Mac at the Skyview bar. She's a pro with dirty Shirley's!

Absolutely loved the view here much quieter, and nicer atmosphere. The people seem much nicer and kinder at this place versus a space needle people that go! it's even taller than a space needle actually read more

To top off the amazing views, Mac served up some amazing cocktails in The Bar. Thank you for turning a great afternoon into the PERFECT afternoon, Mac! Cheers! read more

The Sky View Observatory is 100% worth it! An incredible view of Seattle with food and drinks at the top. Forget the Space Needle as it's more expensive and not as high up. Happy viewing! read more

Sky View Observatory - Observatories Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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Typical tourist skyline observatory. Not complaining--I really enjoy such attractions! There are great views around all sides including Mt. Rainier, Lake Washington, and downtown Seattle. Had great weather with mostly clear skies so the viewing distance was quite far. We went at an odd time in the early afternoon so it was empty and there was no line. I bet it is way busier at sunset.. read more

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2 stars for the nice staff downstairs and at the bar. This is really just an office building they tried to capitalize on. I came to visit from Los Angeles and this is like a very subpar version of the Intercontinental in downtown LA. I paid $27.50 (with tax and processing fees) to ride a nice elevator up to the 73rd floor of an office building. It literally looks like my old work office in terms of carpet and overall structure. They even sell those office freebies your company probably gives out at events and career fairs (squeeze balls with a logo, corporate water bottles, pens, etc.). It took me like 15 minutes MAX (I was really pushing it) to walk through the whole floor. I grabbed a drink at the bar, and the bartenders were really sweet and friendly! Overall the views are nice but not $30 nice. It is indeed taller than the Space Needle. Other than that, this place is pretty dead and you'd do better befriending someone who works in this building to see it for free. read more

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I been a resident in seattle area for decades and I have never been to the Columbia tower observatory, but been to the space needle and smith tower so I was excited to try the tallest observatory in seattle. If you drive there is a garage between 4th and 5 th street on Columbia well marked, I told the light rail and got off at pioneer station which was 4 blocks about to the building. I bought tickets in advance but no need plenty on space on the 73rd floor , entrance is on 5th but ignore the sign there is an elevator to your right not well marked that you have to go down to 1st floor then to an express elevator (exclusively) to the sky and your escorted in and out of elevator. The 73rd floor dwarfs the smith tower as you can see the below you, the sky has an enclosed 360 view of the city huge windows to lookout and lots of window seating with tables , a full bar and good service. I'm glad I did it, tickets come in 3 levels but now that I did it next time I'll think I got for the basic which still comes with a free drink and vouchers for food .The drinks was fantastic price the Bloody Mary I had was good value and good volume could drink more of those, they said they have a retail store none was on the 73rd floor maybe in the atrium at street level. Now the Columbia tower has a private member only restaurant in another part of the building , so I wonder why that this place has less food and I do mean less food than AMC theatre. If you can cooked a pizza you can do chicken tenders, popcorn,fries sliders something more than pizza please. So I would definitely do it again but maybe eat before going and get drinks only, btw the ice mocha came in a heavy duty glass that was a nice touch read more

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The "Elite Experience" is completely misrepresented when you buy the tickets. What a disappointment! The views are great, yes. But opt for the cheapest ticket because nothing else is worth it. When we were there it wasn't very busy, so the ability to use the reserved tables wasn't needed and no one was checking anyway. The "complimentary elite beverage" was an Italian soda. We never got our free "specialty retail item", though other reviews seem to say it's a sticker. There is no gift shop. There is one small shelf with a selection of 5 items - two of which are stickers. Then when I was checking out the bartender still tried to charge me even though my total was less than the $45 worth of vouchers included in my "elite" tickets. And the line for the bar, which is also the cafe, was ridiculous since there was one bartender working. Save your money and skip it. read more

Wonderful sights! Great for a view of the sunset and city lights. There is a bar, comfortable seating, and a restroom. read more

Sky View Observatory - Seattle - Observatories Near Me - Seattle, Washington

We went here on a Saturday night earlier this month (September) at 6:30pm and left at 8pm since the workers told us we could stay as long as we wanted. This place closes at 8pm, so we had no choice, but to leave because they were about to close. Anyways, this place is located on the 73rd floor and is currently in the tallest building on the West coast, so we knew we wanted to visit this place since the Skyview Observatory is on the 73rd floor of Columbia Center building! At this observation building, we were told we can spend as much time as we wanted here. We wanted to watch the sunset and try to get a view of the city when it was completely dark, but that wasn't possible on that day because they close at 8pm! I wasn't too happy about how early they close. This observation area also has a bar and area where you can buy food if you want to dine here with a nice view. They have a lot of areas to sit around this place and some tables too if you want to eat. The 360 views around this observation place was really nice and I thought it was cool seeing the roof of other tall buildings here and also got a better view of Mount Rainier since other buildings were not in my way. I'd recommend this place! It was a lot of fun taking pictures of the different views here and it was cool how you can dine and order food and drinks here too! I just wish this place would stay open until the sun fully sets and I also would like for them to install cameras on the wall to take a picture with the view for us. I know other observation places do that. read more

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No visibility after being told by the receptionist we would be able to get good views.

We took a city tour with Royal Caribbean that took us here. It was really neat to see the city. We say the space needle without the needle due to maintenance which was oddly neat. Great views. Quiet place. Clean. read more

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Way less busy than the space needle, amazing views and their cocktails are so tasty! Would highly recommend the lavender sunset. read more

Sky View Observatory - Observatories Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Spectacular 360 views of the Seattle area and beyond! Mac made us delicious Bloody Marys from the bar.

I love going to the observatories in different cities, but I don't love paying $40 a ticket. That was the main reason we didn't visit the Space Needle (or at least why we didn't go up). My fiancé found a solution to this when he found the SkyView Observatory. It was half the price for a ticket at $20. Then, I randomly decided to do a Groupon search for Seattle deals and I found it on there for $10! The only thing is that the Groupon isn't your ticket so you have to go and redeem it for a ticket, but I had no issues with the redemption, even with a same-day purchase. Once you get up there, it is not crowded at all (but maybe because it was a Friday late afternoon and also Valentine's Day. You have plenty of space to explore the 360 view. There's also a bar/cafe up there so you can sit and enjoy a drink, or even walk around with it. Another reason I like these non-main observatories is because you actually get a view of the main ones. I can't compare it to the Space Needle but SkyView is definitely worth a visit. Plus it's only about a 15-20 minute walk from Pike Place. read more

Sky View Observatory - Observatories Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Sky View Observatory was a great stop to get a unique birds eye view of Seattle. Between the more popular Space Needle, Sky View has cheaper tickets, is taller, and has no time limit. We went during Memorial Day weekend around 7pm and there wasn't a big crowd or line to get in. They offer tiered tickets, priced by extra feature that are included. Some extra features include a priority line, and access to reserved tables next to the windows on the top floor. After taking an elevator up the building, the doors open up to a 360 degree floor that you can freely walk around. There is a cafe that serves alcohol, and a few tables. The prices are fair for the unique and untimed experience. It was a great way to kill some time before dinner at night. Be sure to check what time the sun sets to get the best views and lighting. Unfortunately for us, the sun set late around 9pm, so we didn't get much city light views until closing. read more

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PSA: Hire your own photographer!!! My fiancé planned the perfect proposal at the Sky View observatory it was the perfect moment until we got our photos back from the photographer. When he reserved the Sky View observatory he was told that there was an in-house photographer, so assuming they have an in-house photographer they would capture the special moment with good quality photos, but the photos are blurry, dark, and can't really see our faces. I was soaking in the moment too much that I forgot to ask to take photos on my iPhone and oh boy do I regret it. They even told my bf that they had a Nikon, so I assume their "professional" camera can have one decent photo. They should have told us "use our photographer at your own risk". Gorgeous spot, just hire a photographer or give them your iPhone. It's so disheartening to have something special so planned and the photographer couldn't even capture a once in a lifetime moment. If anyone can somehow save/edit the terrible photos their photographer took, please let me know. read more

Sky View Observatory - "Expectations" what they have on their website vs. - Observatories Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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What a beautiful way to view Seattle. If you're there on a clear day, you'll even get a magnificent view of Mt Rainier. I was so blessed to be able to see it when up in the Space Needle and may have slightly been gushing over the magnificence of that beautiful mountain. The benefit of the view far exceeds the cost. Do yourself a favor and pay the money and go up to view this magnificent view. read more

Sky View Observatory - View of Mt Rainier and downtown Seattle - Observatories Near Me - Seattle, Washington

It's hard to find good weather day in winter in Seattle. Yesterday they had fog. Today, cloudy but no shower. I decided to try today and it turned out super lucky day. I read some comment to buy a ticket in advance to save money but again, to pay at cashier turned lucky to save more money. Nomally adult admission $22. Today they had some issue which doesn't bother me at all but discounted to $5.25 And I didn't buy all in ticket with some extra attraction but the photographer lady seemed very workholic, she took my pictures. 3 or 4 poses? I mean it's not free to print out but their concept was like if you like, why not? I have time, I will take pictures even you didn't apply it. I love that! read more

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It was an underwhelming experience. The staff members were great and friendly, but it was everything else that was a bit disappointing. In my opinion, the whole experience for $25 + tax was not worth it. You purchase your tickets at the kiosk (or online) and then directed to an elevator nearby. You're escorted into the elevator and lifted up to the 73rd floor. The 73rd floor consists of a bar/cafe with merchandise and the rest is open space for you to see Seattle from all sides of the building. From this height, the cars on the freeway looked liked toys from Mr. Roger's Neighborhood show. In terms of aesthetics of the 73rd floor, it's extremely dull and bare. There's not much to do except take photos and all could be done in less than 10 minutes. read more

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This is one of the best spot to observe Seattle at a bird's eye view. You could see as far as Bellevue skyline, Seattle Lake Washington, the stadiums, Alki Beach, Space Needle, Mount Rainier, and etc. Basically 360 degree of Seattle. The staff was super friendly especial Mitchell who assisted us check into an event organized by Cara from Yelp. The elevator ride took 70 seconds. On the way up there are beautiful photos playing on the elevator screen and once you are on top of the building there is a bar. There is nothing like taking in the views of Seattle and the Pacific Northwest with good company and a nice beverage. read more

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Went to celebrate a friend's birthday yesterday and had a lovely time. The bartender was knowledgeable about the beers being served and also made a yummy martini. We ordered the charcuterie board and it was presented well and tasted great. I would suggest visiting and having a drink or two to relax and enjoy the views. read more

My husband has been to Seattle multiple times and, for my first trip, he had planned to take me to the Space Needle. A local said to us, "The Space Needle is a tourist trap. Go to Columbia Center instead." I am so glad we were told about this observatory. My husband confirmed that the Columbia Center has better views than the Space Needle. We paid for general admission on a clear and sunny Saturday, and we were surprised to find that it was not crowded at all. I highly recommend! read more

Sky View Observatory - View of the Sound - Observatories Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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Visiting from LA and all the locals were recommending me to come here over the needle. Purchased a groupon online and visited this beauty on the same day. Ticket redemption was effortless and they took some cool shots of us with edited backgrounds. The pics displayed us during the day, night and with big foot. I think it was $20-30 per pic and cheaper with a bundle. The elevator brining you up has a super neat display of varies things like nature or the history of Seattle. When we arrived, we were immediately greeted and began our walk around the observatory. We spent a few minutes at every few steps. The view was extraordinary and kind of scary deepening on the angle. We ended up staying her for an hour HAHHA my boyfriend ordered a peppermint coffee liquor drink which was tasty. The vibe was classy, relaxing and calm- which was perfect for us to wind down from our busy day. I loved it here and will recommend to all my visiting friends. read more

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Nice view of the city from the tallest building in Seattle. Went here to view the city at sunset. Note that it is an office building and the view is from the 73 floor. There is parking located on-site for a fee. We bought our tickets (around $25) at the kiosks on site and were guided to an elevator with a video of a waterfall. We loaded in the elevator and went up to the 73 floor. Once up there you are able to walk around and view the city including the space needle. Personally, we did not like this experience as it felt very officey and you were not in the elements as you were in the Space Needle. You can tell this even from the ride up the elevator where it's just videos of the skyline and not the actual skyline. Also, it was very dark inside and that made it hard to read the information they had on the walls of the city. read more

Sky View Observatory - View of the city from SkyView - Observatories Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Can't beat the view, but the food was OK but forgettable. Beautiful, beautiful place with phenomenal views in a classic art deco building. read more

I have lived here my whole life and I haven't been here until now. This building is something special. Love the staff. I can stay up here for hrs! read more

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Sky View was incredible! Christian made us his world famous grilled cheese with special sauce and it was 10/10! He also made us muckleberry cream sodas and it was awesome. Really fun experience and great food! read more

Incredible! Just speechless on the view you are able to get from the 360° views! We went towards the evening to catch sunset, sadly there wasn't one. But we were treated with some amazing night shots of the city!! I can only imagine the views during the day and when there is a beautiful sunset. I truly recommend this for any first time visitor of Seattle but I also will be returning the next time my wife and I visit. read more

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I've lived in Seattle for many years, but have never gotten the perspective of the city that I got from Sky View. Located near the top of the Columbia Tower, this observatory is a much better (and cheaper) way than the Space Needle to see Seattle and all its surrounding areas. All views are unobstructed (unless you have clouds or fog of course), and there are signs all around to tell you what you're looking at. Plus there's a tour daily where someone will walk you through all 360 degrees of view and point out the highlights. One minor thing is I wish they turned off the music on the speakers when the tour guide was giving her talk, because sometimes it was distracting. But otherwise really enjoyed her talk, even as a long-time resident. Cafe here has a limited selection of food and drinks, but was decent enough that I wasn't disappointed at being forced to eat there (outside food not allowed). If you don't want to eat up there the first several floors of the Columbia Tower has a huge food court. read more

Sky View Observatory - Ever changing downtown Seattle - Observatories Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Bought the "elite experience". - Was anything but! Drinks not great, food meh, reserved seating ok - and souvenir item is a sticker! $45 is a rip-off - stick to the basic package Views are great, do just buy that! read more

We came to the Observatory after having experienced the Space Needle. We were the only ones in line so obviously we came at a slow time! PRO: This was a tall building. :) Seating and lounge made it where you could relax and enjoy the views. Employees were helpful and knowledgeable. I liked the posters with fun facts and directional information. CONS: It's just a tall building. Great views, yes, but not significantly better than the Space Needle. I don't know. Maybe I didn't get it. It was worth maybe half the cost. All said and done, I'm kind of surprised the ratings are what they are. It's such a different experience I guess. read more

Sky View Observatory - Observatories Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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Come on up for a drink, enjoy the space and revel in the amazing view. Drinks are not bad. Food and drinks are decently priced for the present age. My one request since this is a viewing tower where one comes to look out windows...Please, please locate a bottle of Windex and an old rag and wipe a window, for crying in the rain. The young sarcastic adults languishing behind the counter, there is something you can do! Wax on, wax off. Clean a window or 10 so that the rest of us who paid money to see out of the windows may do that. read more

Sky View Observatory - Gorgeous sunset with hand prints - Observatories Near Me - Seattle, Washington

The lesser known but tallest building in Seattle. If you look out the window you'll see the Needle nearby! This is less crowded then the Needle and offers a 360 panorama view of the city. At $20/person it's definitely one of the cheaper tourist traps. We went in the middle of the summer so the sun set super late, but I didn't stayed long enough to see the beginning of the sunset. The views were great and there were places to sit (but they do need more comfortable seating) while you took in the scenery. I managed to get a get a great zoomed in photo of Mount Ranier so I was pretty happy. Overall I would recommend coming here over the Needle if you're looking for Instagram-worthy pics of the city skyline. read more

Sky View Observatory - Observatories Near Me - Seattle, Washington