Terminal Tower: Observation Deck

picture from Don Iannone at flickr.com

Over Memorial Day Weekend we "vacationed" at home. This included a neighborhood barbeque, a movie ("Chef" - highly recommended), first outdoor swim of the season, and a trip downtown to the Terminal Tower.

Though I grew up in Cleveland I had never been up to the 42nd floor Observation Deck, which is open on week-end afternoons for the shocking price of $5 a peep. We took 13 year old Fat Rabbit, who also had never been up the tower, though both boys had gone during 4th grade class field trips.

I have been through the Terminal Tower Mall on several occasions, usually rushing to a movie or an event, so I have never REALLY paid attention to the detail. It is a stunning building with a panoramic history of Cleveland. With our "vacation" heads on, we really noticed the beautiful foyer as we entered.

foyer as we saw it                           ceiling detail

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After wandering around a bit and appreciating how beautiful the building is, magnificent, really, we bought our tickets and rode two elevators up to the 42nd floor. The observation deck had been restored to its original decor:

The compass came in handy for orientation, though the position of the lake is always a big tip-off in Cleveland! Um, north.  It was a clear day and visibility was extraordinary.

Cuyahoga river snaking back on itself

 My thought was that if this were the Empire State Building on a clear day, we would have waited in line for hours and vied with crowds for a view. But here in Cleveland, we went straight up and had the whole observation deck to ourselves. And the views were no less stunning.