Seattle Center Celebrates 50 Years, Adds Zip Line, Glass Museum

The Seattle Center put on a show Saturday, celebrating fifty years since its inception with a myriad of new things, from a zip line to the Chihuly Garden and Glass museum.

The Center, including the Space Needle, made its debut in 1962 as the center point of the World’s Fair, according to Yahoo News. The 74-acre gathering place has gradually grown to include the Science Fiction Museum, EMP, and a new opera house.

Bend Bulletin reports that the new addition, unveiled to the public on Saturday, is made entirely of hand-blown glass, and has been hailed as a magnificent contribution to art lovers in Seattle.

It was designed and created by internationally renowned glass artist Dale Chihuly, and is perfectly placed in a city that abounds in artful architecture and design. The Bulletin contends that the Chihuly Garden and Glass may even be the city’s boldest creation since the Space Needle itself.

The Seattle Center also boasts a huge park filled with public art, which hosts a skating rink in winter, several concerts in summer, and even hosting events like the Bite of Seattle, a food festival.

It boasts grassy picnic areas and a central attraction in the 220-foot wide International Fountain, which shoots musically choreographed water from 137 nozzles. Yahoo News notes that the nozzles shoot water 120 feet in the air, and it is a popular attraction, especially on warm summer days, when children (and adults) can be seen running through the water.

The City of Seattle hopes that the zip line (which costs $7.50 to ride) and the new Chihuly museum, will continue to attract people to the Seattle Center.