Observation decks in Seattle, compared

The short answer: Seattle has 3 decks. Sky View Observatory is the highest (902 ft), Smith Tower Observatory the cheapest (from $25) — but the right pick depends on what you want.

Seattle is the best-value deck city in the country and almost nobody realises it, because the Space Needle's fame hides the other two. The Needle is the icon, rebuilt in 2018 with tilting glass walls and a revolving glass floor. Sky View Observatory, 400 feet higher in Columbia Center, costs less and has the view that includes the Needle. Smith Tower's 1914 open-air porch has a bar on it.

How to choose in Seattle

First visit, one deck: the Space Needle, because it is the thing you came to see and the 2018 rebuild is genuinely good. Best view for the money: Sky View, hands down. Best evening: Smith Tower's $15 observatory-and-bar ticket after 4pm. Sky View plus Smith Tower together still costs less than one Needle ticket at peak.

Open right now in Seattle

Civic decks close on weekends, some decks open only two afternoons a week, and one opens at 2pm for thirty minutes. This board reads each deck's schedule in Seattle local time.

DeckHeightFromTypeThrill factorBest for
Sky View Observatory 902 ft $27 indoor — on pure view-per-dollar
Space Needle 520 ft $35 open-air + indoor ★★ glass floor as the Seattle experience
Smith Tower Observatory 462 ft $25 open-air + indoor ★ open-air atmosphere beats altitude for you

All Seattle decks on the map

See Seattle from above — bookable

Seattle's decks are only part of the view. These are the helicopter flights, skyline cruises and sightseeing runs that put the city below you — booked through Viator, which earns this site a commission at no cost to you.

Prices last checked 2026-08-18.

The full verdicts

Sky View Observatory 902 ft · 73rd floor · from $27 The tallest public deck on the US West Coast — 902 ft up Columbia Center, nearly 400 ft above the Space Needle's deck, with the entire skyline (Needle included), Elliott Bay, and both mountain ranges in one indoor panorama. Space Needle 520 ft · Tophouse (2 levels) floor · from $35 · open-air The 1962 World's Fair icon, rebuilt in 2018 into something genuinely modern: floor-to-ceiling tilting glass walls on the open-air level and The Loupe — the world's first revolving glass floor — underneath. Smith Tower Observatory 462 ft · 35th floor · from $25 · open-air Seattle's original skyscraper deck — a 1914 open-air wraparound porch behind ornate ironwork on the 35th floor, reached through a Prohibition-themed self-guided tour, with a bar on the deck itself.

Seattle observation decks — quick answers

3 public observation decks: Sky View Observatory, Smith Tower Observatory, Space Needle. Each has a full guide here with current prices, hours, and an honest verdict.

Sky View Observatory at 902 ft (73rd floor).

Smith Tower Observatory, from $25. Prices shift with season and time slot — sunset always costs more, and booking online always beats the walk-up window.