When you think of Googie and space age, how much more mid-century futuristic
can you get than the Space Needle and Pacific Science Center in Seattle,
WA? Built for the 1962 World's Fair, this space age monument is a proud reminder
of the mid-century space race era. The color of the Space Needle originally was orange.
These remaining structures from the 1962 Seattle World's Fair depict
a much more optimistic time in America's past. The Space Needle stands tall and the googie structures to the right are still at the Pacific Science Center in Downtown Seattle.
Space Needle
Seattle, WA
Photo courtesy Louis Di Fazio
Few roadside landmarks are as instantly recognizable as the Space Needle. Rising high above the Seattle skyline, it has been turning heads ever since it was built for the 1962 World's Fair. Even today, it still looks like something from the future.
No matter how many times you've seen it in photographs, it's a different experience when it suddenly appears in person. The sweeping legs, flying-saucer top, and unmistakable Space Age design make it one of those landmarks that seems larger than life. Whether you're seeing it from the freeway or standing beneath it, it's almost impossible not to stop and look up.
The Space Needle has become as much a symbol of Seattle as the Golden Gate Bridge is to San Francisco. More than sixty years after it first opened, it still captures the optimism and futuristic spirit of the early 1960s.
UPDATE: The Space Needle continues welcoming visitors to its observation deck and remains one of America's most recognizable roadside landmarks. 07-26
Pacific Science Center
Seattle, WA Photo courtesy Louis Di Fazio
The soaring white arches of the Pacific Science Center look like they belong in a science fiction movie. Built for the 1962 World's Fair, the futuristic complex still feels every bit as imaginative today as it did during the Space Age.
The open towers, reflecting pools, and clean white lines make this one of Seattle's most photogenic landmarks. Even if you never step inside, it's worth wandering through the courtyard just to admire the architecture. It's the kind of place that reminds you how optimistic the early 1960s were about the future.
Just a short walk from the Space Needle, the Pacific Science Center remains one of the last major pieces of the World's Fair that still looks much the way visitors would have remembered it more than sixty years ago.
UPDATE: The Pacific Science Center continues welcoming visitors beneath its distinctive arches, which remain one of Seattle's most recognizable pieces of Space Age architecture. 07-26
Dads (Gone)
Portland, OR Photo courtesy Jeff
Raber
It's hard to tell whether the sign or the building catches your eye first. Dad's occupied one of the most distinctive storefronts in Portland's St. Johns neighborhood, where the rounded corner entrance and Art Deco styling gave it far more character than the average neighborhood tavern.
For years it was a local gathering spot, serving food and drinks beneath a building that looked like it had hardly changed since the middle of the last century. Places like this always seemed to have regulars who could tell you stories stretching back decades.
UPDATE: Dad's closed in 2008, and the building has since been restored for new businesses while retaining its distinctive historic appearance. 07-26
Blustery's Burgers (Closed)
Vantage, WA Photo courtesy Joel Davis-Aldridge
At first glance, it's hard to guess what this building was. This building has the kind of rounded mid-century design that looks like it could have been a coffee shop, flower shop, or just about anything else from the 1950s. That's what makes it such a fun roadside find.
Anyone who crossed the Columbia River at Vantage probably remembers Blustery's Burgers. The little round drive-in with its wraparound windows was the kind of place that seemed made for hungry travelers, especially after a long drive across eastern Washington or a concert at The Gorge.
Its name couldn't have fit the location any better. The winds around the Vantage Bridge are legendary, making Blustery's one of those roadside stops that people remembered almost as much for its setting as its burgers.
UPDATE: Blustery's closed in 2022, but the building found a new life in 2025 as The Ranch, a restaurant and farm market. Although the old Blustery's sign is gone, the distinctive mid-century building still welcomes travelers along Interstate 90. 07-26
Dads (Gone)
Blustery's Burgers (Closed)
