I recently spent one night in Seattle before boarding a Princess Cruise to Alaska with a large group of friends.

Since we had some free time, my husband, Nick, and I decided at the last minute to visit the iconic Space Needle. After experiencing it for ourselves, I can confidently say it’s worth adding to your Seattle itinerary.

We purchased our tickets at one of the kiosks and hopped right in line. It wasn’t busy, so we only waited about 10 minutes before taking the elevator 605 feet to the top in less than a minute.

During the quick ride up, our guide shared the Space Needle was originally built for the 1962 World’s Fair and has since become one of Seattle’s most recognizable landmarks. As soon as the elevator doors opened, we were greeted with spectacular, 360-degree views of downtown Seattle, Elliott Bay, Puget Sound, the Olympic Mountains, the Cascade Range and even Mount Rainier on a clear day, as this one was.

One of the biggest highlights is The Loupe, the world’s first and only rotating glass floor. Standing on the transparent floor while watching the city slowly rotate beneath your feet is both thrilling and unforgettable. It’s definitely not for the faint of heart, but it’s an experience you won’t forget. A full rotation takes about 45 minutes, giving you plenty of time to soak in the views from every angle.

We also spent some time at the Loupe Lounge, where we enjoyed a couple of cocktails while taking in the incredible skyline. If you’d like to sit in the lounge, you’ll need to purchase drinks, but we thought it was well worth it for the views alone.

Of course, we couldn’t leave without taking plenty of photos. From the waterfront and skyline to the glass floor and a few selfies, there were photo opportunities everywhere we looked.

The Space Needle is more than just Seattle’s most famous landmark, it’s an experience. Between the breathtaking views, the rotating glass floor and sipping cocktails hundreds of feet above the city, it was one of the highlights of our time in Seattle and an attraction we’d absolutely recommend to anyone visiting the Emerald City.

— Darla Mosotti, account executive