Since it opened in 1962, the Space Needle has been a Seattle landmark and a must see destination for millions of visitors. Whether you are dining at the revolving restaurant or gazing from the observation deck, the best way to see Seattle is from the top of this iconic structure.
If you live out of town, or the thought of a 605 foot structure gives you the chills, there is a high tech new way to enjoy the view without ever leaving the ground. The Space Needle has launched Space Needle 360⁰, a free virtual reality mobile app that gives you a bird’s eye view of Seattle.
I used the app at home and I have to say it is pretty amazing. The app doesn’t just give you a 3D view, like you would get with gimmicky red/blue lens glasses. This app lets you look up, down, left, right, and spin in a circle to take in the view from any angle. I was left wondering “how did they do that” after trying it.
So here’s how it works. For the best experience, you will want to use a Google VR Cardboard Viewer which you can buy at the Space Needle or at a few places online. You then load the app onto your smartphone and then slip the phone into the cardboard goggles. It took all of five minutes for me to download the app and set up the goggles.
So there I was, turning in circles in my living room, admiring the view from the Space Needle. The app has a few different experiences. The first, Soar over Seattle, was filmed using six 360-degree cameras attached to the pontoon of a seaplane. This one was really neat because you could look down and see the CenturyLink Field where the Seattle Seahawks and Seattle Sounders FC play. As the seaplane approaches the Space Needle, you can look around and see the Experience Music Project and Pike Place Market in the distance.
The second video, Walk around the outer edge, is one of those experiences that can make your heart race even when you are just standing in your living room. My wife doesn’t like heights and had a difficult time looking down with this one. My son and his friend both jumped back the first time that they looked down.
The video was filmed from the outer most ring of the Needle by a few guys with nerves of steel (you can see them in the video). They wore safety harnesses and walked around the Space Needle while holding a pole with four mounted, 360-degree video cameras on one end. While wearing the VR goggles, you can look straight down over the edge of the Space Needle, admire the Seattle skyline, or turn to see the tourists as they photograph the guys walking around the structure.
The last view is a 360 degree photograph from the very top of the Needle. You can look down to see the roof, but the views of the city are the real gem with this one. The best part of each of these experiences is that the sky is sunny and perfect. You won’t see any of the legendary Seattle rain.
If you don’t have the fancy Google VR Cardboard Viewer (I guess cardboard counts as being fancy?), you can still use the app to get a 360⁰ experience. The viewer just makes it a whole lot better and gives you the full, immersive experience.
The Space Needle 360⁰ app is available through Apple and Google Play stores. You can learn more about this neat virtual reality experience at www.spaceneedle.com/vr.
PS: One of my favorite posts by Oren Miller was the story of his week in Seattle with his children. Read to the end for his “We ate M&Ms in a cloud!” Space Needle story.
