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The Seattle
Center How As was mentioned on the previous page, the 1962 World's Fair was held in Seattle. There was much futurism, and much optimism here. The fifties, and early sixties were a time when we all thought that we could do anything to which we set our minds. This was a large fair, with many exhibits, buildings, a midway, and even a monorail from the fairgrounds, to the middle of downtown Seattle, to give visitors a ride on what they were told was the transportation system of the future. The old fairgrounds are now the Seattle Center, with the Space Needle as their centerpiece. There has been some updating, and some replacement of temporary structures, by more substantial buildings; but much of the place remains as it was. In particular, there is the Pacific Science Center, the singing fountain, the gardens, the midway, and the Space Needle itself. |
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The Pacific Science Center, which was formerly the World's Fair Science Pavilion. |
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The twin lanes of the monorail passing through a Seattle neighborhood. |
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This is the rock and roll museum (officially known as the Experience Music Project) in Seattle. |
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The monorail takes a curve, as it heads out of The Seattle Center towards downtown. |
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The rails go around and seem to go through the Rock and Roll museum. The blue building in the background is the Science Fiction Museum. |
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Left: For those preferring a less futuristic mode of transportation, this is the bus terminus of the Seattle Center. Below: The Space Needle keeps watch over the EMP and SFM. |
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One last look at the Seattle center monorail tracks exiting from between the SFM and EMP, with a bit fo the base fo The Space Needle visible. |
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The platform for the monorail. This was built as a showpiece; but after over fifty years, it is still a viable and useful part of the transit system. |
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Inside, the monorail is a cross between a bus and a commuter train. |
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The terminus of the monorail, in the middle of downtown Seattle. |
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A look over the side, at the monorail tracks. |
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The downtown platform of the Monorail. |
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A nearly empty monorail car, showing the mixed club seating and outward facing seating. |
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A look up the side of the monorail. Note the curved greenhouse roof of the platform. |
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As close as I could get to snapping a photo of the driver's compartment of the monorail. early sixties high tech. |
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The ever present Space Needle, visible from all over town. Here we see it from a nearby neighborhood. |