__FORCETOC__

An observation deck, observation platform or viewing platform is an elevated sightseeing

Tourism

Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...

 platform usually situated upon a tall architectural structure such as a skyscraper

Skyscraper

A skyscraper is a tall, continuously habitable building of many stories, often designed for office and commercial use. There is no official definition or height above which a building may be classified as a skyscraper...

 or observation tower

Observation tower

An observation tower is a structure used to view events from a long distance and to create a full 360 degree range of vision. They are usually at least tall and made from stone, iron, and wood. Many modern towers are also used as TV towers, restaurants, or churches...

. Fitted with railings or fencing for safety, observation decks are sometimes enclosed from weather, as many skyscraper decks, and may include coin operated telescopes for viewing distant features.

List of public observation decks

Notable public observation decks include the following:

valign=top style="background:silver" | List of public observation decks

	Name	Built	Type	Location (sorts by nation)	Deck ht (m)	Total ht(m)	Notes
1	Shanghai World Financial Center Shanghai World Financial Center The most distinctive feature in the design of the building is an aperture at the peak. The original design specified a circular aperture, in diameter, to reduce the stresses of wind pressure, as well as serve as a subtext for the design, since "Chinese mythology represents the earth with a square...	2008	Skyscraper Skyscraper A skyscraper is a tall, continuously habitable building of many stories, often designed for office and commercial use. There is no official definition or height above which a building may be classified as a skyscraper...

} People's Republic of ChinaShanghai

Shanghai

Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...

|474
|
|100th floor, decks also on levels 94 & 97
|-
|2
|Canton Tower
|2011
|Steel Tower

Tower

A tower is a tall structure, usually taller than it is wide, often by a significant margin. Towers are distinguished from masts by their lack of guy-wires....

| People's Republic of ChinaGuangzhou

Guangzhou

Guangzhou , known historically as Canton or Kwangchow, is the capital and largest city of the Guangdong province in the People's Republic of China. Located in southern China on the Pearl River, about north-northwest of Hong Kong, Guangzhou is a key national transportation hub and trading port...

|
|600
|Additional deck at 433.3m.
|-
|3
|Burj Khalifa
|2010
|Skyscraper
| United Arab EmiratesDubai

Dubai

Dubai is a city and emirate in the United Arab Emirates . The emirate is located south of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula and has the largest population with the second-largest land territory by area of all the emirates, after Abu Dhabi...

|
|828
|124th floor, outdoor
|-
|4
|CN Tower

CN Tower

The CN Tower is a communications and observation tower in Downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Standing tall, it was completed in 1976, becoming the world's tallest free-standing structure and world's tallest tower at the time. It held both records for 34 years until the completion of the Burj...

|1976
|Concrete tower

Tower

A tower is a tall structure, usually taller than it is wide, often by a significant margin. Towers are distinguished from masts by their lack of guy-wires....

| CanadaToronto

Toronto

Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...

|
|
|Two additional observation decks at 342 m (outdoor) & 346 m (indoor).
|-
|5
|Willis Tower
|1974
|Skyscraper
| United StatesChicago

Chicago

Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...

|
|
|103rd floor
|-
|6
|Sky100

Sky100

Sky100 is an 360 degrees indoor observation deck on the 100th floor of the International Commerce Centre in West Kowloon, Hong Kong. It is due to open on 17 April 2011. Tickets will be on sale from 17 March 2011. It will be the highest observation deck in Hong Kong at 393 metres above sea level...

, International Commerce Centre

International Commerce Centre

The International Commerce Centre is a 108 floor, skyscraper completed in 2010 in West Kowloon, Hong Kong. It is a part of the Union Square project built on top of Kowloon Station. The development is owned and jointly developed by MTR Corporation Limited and Sun Hung Kai Properties, Hong...

|2011
|Skyscraper
| Hong KongHong Kong

Hong Kong

Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...

|393
|484
|100th floor 360 degree indoor observatory, it's the highest observation deck in Hong Kong.
|-
|7
|Taipei 101

Taipei 101

Taipei 101 , formerly known as the Taipei World Financial Center, is a landmark skyscraper located in Xinyi District, Taipei, Taiwan. The building ranked officially as the world's tallest from 2004 until the opening of the Burj Khalifa in Dubai in 2010...

|2004
|Skyscraper
| Republic of ChinaTaipei

Taipei

Taipei City is the capital of the Republic of China and the central city of the largest metropolitan area of Taiwan. Situated at the northern tip of the island, Taipei is located on the Tamsui River, and is about 25 km southwest of Keelung, its port on the Pacific Ocean...

|
|
|91st floor's outdoor observatory, it's the previous record of highest outdoor observatory in the world. The 89th floor indoor observatory is 383.2 metres (1,257 ft).
|-
|8
|Empire State Building

Empire State Building

The Empire State Building is a 102-story landmark skyscraper and American cultural icon in New York City at the intersection of Fifth Avenue and West 34th Street. It has a roof height of 1,250 feet , and with its antenna spire included, it stands a total of 1,454 ft high. Its name is derived...

|1931
|Skyscraper
| United StatesNew York City

New York City

New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...

|369
|
|102nd floor, additional 86th floor deck (320 m)
|-
|9
|Oriental Pearl Tower

Oriental Pearl Tower

The Oriental Pearl Tower is a TV tower in Shanghai, China. The Oriental Pearl Tower is located at the tip of Lujiazui in the Pudong district, by the side of Huangpu River, opposite of The Bund....

|1994
|Concrete tower
| People's Republic of ChinaShanghai

Shanghai

Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...

|350
|
|14th floor
|-
|10
|Jin Mao Tower
|1998
|Skyscraper
| People's Republic of ChinaShanghai

Shanghai

Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...

|
|
|
|-
|11
|Ostankino Tower

Ostankino Tower

Ostankino Tower is a free-standing television and radio tower in Moscow, Russia. Standing tall, Ostankino was designed by Nikolai Nikitin. It is a member of the World Federation of Great Towers, currently the tallest in Europe and 4th tallest in the world. The tower was the first free-standing...

|1967
|Concrete tower
| RussiaMoscow

Moscow

Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...

|337
|
|
|-
|12
|John Hancock Center

John Hancock Center

John Hancock Center at 875 North Michigan Avenue in the Streeterville area of Chicago, Illinois, is a 100-story, 1,127-foot tall skyscraper, constructed under the supervision of Skidmore, Owings and Merrill, with chief designer Bruce Graham and structural engineer Fazlur Khan...

|1969
|Skyscraper
| United StatesChicago

Chicago

Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...

|
|
|
|-
|13
|Eureka Tower
|2007
|Skyscraper
| AustraliaMelbourne

Melbourne

Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...

|285
|
|Skydeck 88 is at a height of 285 m
|-
|14
|Royal Gorge Bridge

Royal Gorge Bridge

The Royal Gorge Bridge is a tourist attraction near Cañon City, Colorado, within a theme park. The bridge deck hangs above the Arkansas River, and held the record of highest bridge in the world from 1929 until 2003, when it was surpassed by the Beipanjiang River 2003 Bridge in China. It is a...

|1929
|Bridge

Bridge

A bridge is a structure built to span physical obstacles such as a body of water, valley, or road, for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle...

| United StatesColorado

Colorado

Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...

|291
|321
| spans Grand Canyon

Royal Gorge

The Royal Gorge is a canyon on the Arkansas River near Cañon City, Colorado. With a width of at its base and a few hundred feet at its top, and a depth of in places, the 10-mile-long canyon is a narrow, steep gorge through the granite of Fremont Peak...

 of the Arkansas River

Arkansas River

The Arkansas River is a major tributary of the Mississippi River. The Arkansas generally flows to the east and southeast as it traverses the U.S. states of Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. The river's initial basin starts in the Western United States in Colorado, specifically the Arkansas...

|-
|15
|1-Altitude Gallery, OUB Centre
|2010
|Skyscraper
| SingaporeSingapore

Singapore

Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...

|280
|280
|Rooftop gallery opened in 2010 as a part of 1-Altitude establishment
|-
|16
|Eiffel Tower

Eiffel Tower

The Eiffel Tower is a puddle iron lattice tower located on the Champ de Mars in Paris. Built in 1889, it has become both a global icon of France and one of the most recognizable structures in the world...

|1889
|Steel truss

Truss

In architecture and structural engineering, a truss is a structure comprising one or more triangular units constructed with straight members whose ends are connected at joints referred to as nodes. External forces and reactions to those forces are considered to act only at the nodes and result in...

 tower
| FranceParis

Paris

Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...

|
|324
|3rd floor
|-
|17
|Menara Kuala Lumpur
|1996
|Concrete tower
| MalaysiaKuala Lumpur

Kuala Lumpur

Kuala Lumpur is the capital and the second largest city in Malaysia by population. The city proper, making up an area of , has a population of 1.4 million as of 2010. Greater Kuala Lumpur, also known as the Klang Valley, is an urban agglomeration of 7.2 million...

|276
|421
|
|-
|18
|Columbia Center

Columbia Center

Columbia Center is the tallest skyscraper in the downtown Seattle skyline, as well as the tallest building in the State of Washington, and the Pacific Northwest region of North America. It occupies most of the block bounded by Fourth and Fifth Avenues and Cherry and Columbia Streets...

|1985
|Skyscraper
| United StatesSeattle

Seattle, Washington

Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...

|275
|284
|73rd floor
|-
|19
|Yokohama Landmark

Yokohama Landmark Tower

The is the tallest building and 3rd tallest structure in Japan, standing high. It is located in the Minato Mirai 21 district of Yokohama city, right next to Yokohama Museum of Art. Work on the building was finished in 1993. It has the highest observation deck in Japan.The building contains a...

|1993
|Skyscraper
| JapanYokohama
|273
|296
|69th floor
|-
|20
|Millau Viaduct

Millau Viaduct

The Millau Viaduct is a cable-stayed road-bridge that spans the valley of the river Tarn near Millau in southern France. Designed by the British architect Norman Foster and French structural engineer Michel Virlogeux, it is the tallest bridge in the world, with one mast's summit at . It is the...

|2004
|Bridge
| FranceMillau

Millau

Millau is a commune in the Aveyron department in southern France. It is located at the confluence of the Tarn and Dourbie rivers.-History:...

|270
|343
| 270 m clearance
|-
|21
|JPMorgan Chase Tower

JPMorgan Chase Tower (Houston)

JPMorgan Chase Tower, formerly Texas Commerce Tower, is a , 75-story skyscraper in Houston, Texas. It is currently the tallest building in the city, the tallest building in Texas, the tallest five-sided building in the world, 12th tallest building in the United States, and the 54th tallest building...

|1982
|Skyscraper
| United StatesHouston
|
|
|60th floor
|-
|22
|Stratosphere Tower

Stratosphere Las Vegas

Stratosphere Las Vegas is a tower, hotel, and casino located on the Las Vegas Strip in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States. Its tower is also the tallest observation tower, and the 5th-tallest structure, in the United States, as well as being the tallest structure in Las Vegas.It is owned by Whitehall...

|1996
|Concrete tower
| United StatesLas Vegas

Las Vegas, Nevada

Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...

|266
|
|9th floor
|-
|23
|Vajont Dam

Vajont Dam

The Vajont Dam is a disused dam, completed in 1959 in the valley of the Vajont river under Monte Toc, 100 km north of Venice, Italy...

|1961
|Dam
| ItalyErto e Casso

Erto e Casso

Erto e Casso is a municipality in the Province of Pordenone in the Italian region Friuli-Venezia Giulia, located about 130 km northwest of Trieste and about 40 km northwest of Pordenone.-Geography:...

|
|
|"disused"
|-
|24
|GE Building

GE Building

The GE Building is an Art Deco skyscraper that forms the centerpiece of Rockefeller Center in the midtown Manhattan section of New York City. Known as the RCA Building until 1988, it is most famous for housing the headquarters of the television network NBC...

|1933
|Skyscraper
| United StatesNew York City

New York City

New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...

|
|
|70th floor ("Top of the Rock")
|-
|25
|Tianjin Tower

Tianjin Radio and Television Tower

The Tianjin Radio and Television Tower is a 415.2 m tower in Tianjin, China used primarily for communication. It was built in 1991 at a cost of $45 million. Approximately two-thirds up the tower is an observation pod with floor space 253m...

|1991
|Concrete tower
| People's Republic of ChinaTianjin

Tianjin

' is a metropolis in northern China and one of the five national central cities of the People's Republic of China. It is governed as a direct-controlled municipality, one of four such designations, and is, thus, under direct administration of the central government...

|253
|
| "observation pod"
|-
|26
|Mauvoisin Dam
|1957
|Dam
| SwitzerlandBagnes

Bagnes

Bagnes is a municipality in the district of Entremont in the canton of Valais in Switzerland.With an area of , Bagnes used to be the largest municipality of Switzerland until the formation of Glarus Süd in 2011.-History:...

|250
|250
|raised 13.5 m in 1991
|-
|27
|Tokyo Tower

Tokyo Tower

is a communications and observation tower located in Shiba Park, Minato, Tokyo, Japan. At , it is the second tallest artificial structure in Japan. The structure is an Eiffel Tower-inspired lattice tower that is painted white and international orange to comply with air safety regulations.Built in...

|1958
|Steel truss tower
| JapanTokyo

Tokyo

, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...

|
|
|6th floor
|-
|28
|CCTV Tower
|1992
|Concrete tower
| People's Republic of ChinaBeijing

Beijing

Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...

|238
|
|
|-
|29
|Q1

Q1 (building)

Q1 is a supertall skyscraper located in Surfers Paradise, on the Gold Coast. It is the world's third tallest residential tower after the 348 metre building The Marina Torch in Dubai won formal recognition as the tallest residential building in the world on 29 April 2011 by the Emporis...

|2005
|Skyscraper
| AustraliaGold Coast

Gold Coast, Queensland

Gold Coast is a coastal city of Australia located in South East Queensland, 94km south of the state capital Brisbane. With a population approximately 540,000 in 2010, it is the second most populous city in the state, the sixth most populous city in the country, and also the most populous...

|230
|323
|77th floor (SkyPoint), with the function hall

Function hall

A function hall or banquet hall is a room or building for the purpose of hosting a party, banquet, reception, or other social event.Function halls are often found within pubs, clubs, hotels, or restaurants. Some are run by fraternal organizations and rented out as a fundraiser for the organization...

 on the 78th

|-
|31
|Rialto Towers

Rialto Towers

The Rialto Towers is the second-tallest reinforced concrete building and the tallest office building in the Southern Hemisphere, when measured to its roof...

|1986
|Office
| AustraliaMelbourne

Melbourne

Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...

|225
|
|
|-
|32
|Sky Tower

Sky Tower

The Sky Tower is an observation and telecommunications tower located on the corner of Victoria and Federal Streets in the Auckland CBD, Auckland City, New Zealand. It is tall, as measured from ground level to the top of the mast, making it the tallest free-standing structure in the Southern...

|1997
|Concrete tower
|Auckland

Auckland

The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...

|220
|328
|
|-
|33
|Verzasca Dam

Verzasca Dam

The Contra Dam, commonly known as the Verzasca Dam and the Locarno Dam, is an arch dam on the Verzasca River in the Val Verzasca of Ticino, Switzerland. The dam creates Lago di Vogorno upstream of Lake Maggiore and supports a 105 MW hydroelectric power station...

|1965
|Dam
| SwitzerlandTicino

Ticino

Canton Ticino or Ticino is the southernmost canton of Switzerland. Named after the Ticino river, it is the only canton in which Italian is the sole official language...

|220
|220
|
|-
|34
|Mratinje Dam

Mratinje Dam

The Mratinje Dam is a concrete arch dam in the canyon of the Piva River in Montenegro.The dam was completed in 1975 with designs by Energoprojekt. Its construction resulted in the flooding of the Piva canyon and the creation of Lake Piva, which, with its 12.5 km², is the second largest lake in...

|1975
|Dam
| MontenegroMratinje
|220
|220
| in Plužine municipalityhttp://www.photomontenegro.me/category/gradovi/lang/en/
|-
|35
|Westin Peachtree
|1973
|Skyscraper
| United StatesAtlanta

Atlanta, Georgia

Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...

|220
|220
|73rd floor
|-
|36
|Prudential Tower

Prudential Tower

The Prudential Tower, also known as the Prudential Building or, colloquially, The Pru, is a skyscraper in Boston, Massachusetts. The building, a part of the Prudential Center complex, currently stands as the 2nd-tallest building in Boston, behind the John Hancock Tower. The Prudential Tower was...

|1964
|Skyscraper
| United StatesBoston
|213
|228
|50th floor ("Prudential Skywalk")
|-
|37
|Detroit Marriott
|1977
|Skyscraper
| United StatesDetroit

Detroit, Michigan

Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...

|
|
|70th floor
|-
|38
|Tour Montparnasse

Tour Montparnasse

Tour Maine-Montparnasse , also commonly named Tour Montparnasse, is a tall office skyscraper located in Paris, France, in the area of Montparnasse. Constructed from 1969 to 1972, it was the tallest skyscraper in France until 2011, when it was surpassed in height by the Tour First...

|1972
|Skyscraper
| FranceParis

Paris

Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...

|209
|209
|
|-
|39
|Fernsehturm Berlin
|1969
|Concrete tower
| GermanyBerlin

Berlin

Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...

|
|
|
|-
|40
|Almendra Dam

Almendra Dam

The Almendra Dam, also known as Villarino Dam, in Salamanca, Spain, interrupts the course of the River Tormes five kilometres from the village from which it takes its name: Almendra...

|1970
|Dam
| SpainAlmendra

Almendra, Salamanca

Almendra is a village and municipality in the province of Salamanca, western Spain, part of the autonomous community of Castile and León. In a 2007 census it had 205 inhabitants.- See also :* Salamanca * The Almendra Dam...

|202
|202
|
|-
|41
|Kölnbrein Dam
|1979
|Dam
| AustriaMalta

Malta, Austria

Malta is a municipality in the Austrian state of Carinthia, in the district of Spittal an der Drau, west of the town of Gmünd. Situated within the Hohe Tauern mountain range, it covers most of the valley of the Malta river, a tributary of the Lieser. The municipality includes the Katastralgemeinden...

|200
|200
|
|-
|42
|Maintower

Maintower

Maintower is a 200 metre skyscraper in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. It is named after the river Main. A 40 metre communications tower is mounted atop the building. It features five underground floors, as well as two public viewing platforms. The tower currently remains the only skyscraper in...

|1999
|Skyscraper
| GermanyFrankfurt

Frankfurt

Frankfurt am Main , commonly known simply as Frankfurt, is the largest city in the German state of Hesse and the fifth-largest city in Germany, with a 2010 population of 688,249. The urban area had an estimated population of 2,300,000 in 2010...

|200
|240
|
|-
|43
|Olympiaturm

Olympiaturm

The Olympiaturm in Olympiapark, Munich has an overall height of 291 m and a weight of 52,500 tons. At a height of 190 m there is an observation platform as well as a small rock and roll museum housing various memorabilia. Since its opening in 1968 the tower has registered over 35 million visitors ....

|1968
|Concrete tower
| GermanyMunich

Munich

Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...

|192
|291
|
|-
|44
|Gateway Arch

Gateway Arch

The Gateway Arch, or Gateway to the West, is an arch that is the centerpiece of the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial in St. Louis, Missouri. It was built as a monument to the westward expansion of the United States...

|1965
| steel/concrete
| United StatesSt Louis
|~185
|192
|
|-
|45
|Bitexco Financial Tower
|2010
|Skyscraper
| VietnamHo Chi Minh City

Ho Chi Minh City

Ho Chi Minh City , formerly named Saigon is the largest city in Vietnam...

|181
|
| 47th floor
|-
|46
|Tower of the Americas

Tower of the Americas

Tower of the Americas is a 750-foot observation tower/restaurant in San Antonio, Texas. The tower was designed by San Antonio architect O'Neil Ford and was built as the theme structure of the 1968 World's Fair, HemisFair '68....

|1968
|Concrete tower
| United StatesSan Antonio

San Antonio, Texas

San Antonio is the seventh-largest city in the United States of America and the second-largest city within the state of Texas, with a population of 1.33 million. Located in the American Southwest and the south–central part of Texas, the city serves as the seat of Bexar County. In 2011,...

|
|
|
|-
|47
|Olympic Stadium

Olympic Stadium (Montreal)

The Olympic Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in the Hochelaga-Maisonneuve district of Montreal, Quebec, Canada built as the main venue for the 1976 Summer Olympics...

|1987
|Concrete tower
| CanadaMontreal

Montreal

Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...

|175
|175
|
|-
|48
|Rheinturm
|1982
|Concrete tower
| Düsseldorf

Düsseldorf

Düsseldorf is the capital city of the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia and centre of the Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan region.Düsseldorf is an important international business and financial centre and renowned for its fashion and trade fairs. Located centrally within the European Megalopolis, the...

|
|
|
|-
|49
|Carew Tower

Carew Tower

Carew Tower is the second tallest building in Cincinnati, Ohio, United States. However, it is still the highest elevated building in the city. The Great American Insurance building is only taller because of the basement. Completed in 1930, it stands 49 stories tall in the heart of downtown,...

|1931
|Skyscraper
| United StatesCincinnati

Cincinnati, Ohio

Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...

|
|
|roof observation deck
|-
|50
|Reunion Tower

Reunion Tower

Reunion Tower is a observation tower and one of the most recognizable landmarks in Dallas, Texas. Located at 300 Reunion Blvd. in the Reunion district of downtown Dallas, the tower is part of the Hyatt Regency Hotel complex, and is the 15th tallest building in Dallas...

|1978
|Concrete tower
| United StatesDallas

Dallas, Texas

Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...

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|51
|Petronas Tower
|1998
|Steel tower
| MalaysiaKuala Lumpur

Kuala Lumpur

Kuala Lumpur is the capital and the second largest city in Malaysia by population. The city proper, making up an area of , has a population of 1.4 million as of 2010. Greater Kuala Lumpur, also known as the Klang Valley, is an urban agglomeration of 7.2 million...

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|skybridge between the two towers on 41st and 42nd floors
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|52
|Space Needle

Space Needle

The Space Needle is a tower in Seattle, Washington and is a major landmark of the Pacific Northwest region of the United States and a symbol of Seattle. Located at the Seattle Center, it was built for the 1962 World's Fair, during which time nearly 20,000 people a day used the elevators, with over...

|1962
|Steel tower
| United StatesSeattle

Seattle, Washington

Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...

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|53
|Calgary Tower

Calgary Tower

The Calgary Tower is a 191 metre free standing observation tower in Downtown Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Originally called the Husky Tower, it was conceived as a joint venture between Marathon Realty Company Limited and Husky Oil as part of an urban renewal plan and to celebrate Canada's centennial...

|1968
|Concrete tower
| CanadaCalgary
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|54
|Las Vegas Eiffel Tower

Paris Las Vegas

Paris Las Vegas is a hotel and casino located on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada, USA, that is owned and operated by Caesars Entertainment Corp....

|1999
|Steel tower
| United StatesParadise

Paradise, Nevada

Paradise is an unincorporated town in the Las Vegas metropolitan area in Clark County, Nevada, United States. The population was 223,167 at the 2010 census...

|
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| ½ scale (originally to be full-sized)
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|55
|Foshay Tower

Foshay Tower

The Foshay Tower, now the W Minneapolis – The Foshay hotel, is a skyscraper in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Modeled after the Washington Monument, the building was completed in 1929, months before the stock market crash in October of that year. It has 32 floors and stands high, plus an antenna mast...

|1929
|Skyscraper
| United StatesMinneapolis
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|185
|30th floor
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|56
|Custom House Tower

Custom House Tower

The Custom House Tower - now Marriott's Custom House Hotel - is a skyscraper in McKinley Square, in the Financial District neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, in the United States. Construction began in the mid-19th century; the tower was added in the 1910s...

|1915
|Skyscraper
| United StatesBoston
|136
|151
|26th floor
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|57
|Avala Tower
|2009
|Concrete tower
| SerbiaBelgrade

Belgrade

Belgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. According to official results of Census 2011, the city has a population of 1,639,121. It is one of the 15 largest cities in Europe...

|135
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|58
|Kansas City City Hall

Kansas City City Hall

The City Hall of Kansas City, Missouri, is the official seat of government for the city of Kansas City, Missouri. It is a 29-story skyscraper located in downtown Kansas City, and has an observation deck on the top of it...

|1937
|Skyscraper
| United StatesKansas City

Kansas City, Missouri

Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...

|135
|151
|30th floor
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|59
|Penobscot Observatory

Penobscot Narrows Bridge

The Penobscot Narrows Bridge is a cable-stayed bridge over the Penobscot River near Bucksport, Maine. It replaced the Waldo–Hancock Bridge, built in 1931. The new bridge is long. It is one of three bridges in the U.S...

|2007
|bridge tower
| United StatesPenobscot R

Penobscot River

The Penobscot River is a river in the U.S. state of Maine. Including the river's West Branch and South Branch increases the Penobscot's length to , making it the second longest river system in Maine and the longest entirely in the state. Its drainage basin contains .It arises from four branches...

|133
|136
|3rd level (1st & 2nd levels @ 122 & 128 m)
|-
|60
|Edifice Marie-Guyart

Edifice Marie-Guyart

Edifice Marie-Guyart is a 132 meter office building in Quebec City. Completed in 1972, it stands at 31 floors and has an observation deck on the top floor...

|1972
|Skyscraper
| CanadaQuebec City

Quebec City

Quebec , also Québec, Quebec City or Québec City is the capital of the Canadian province of Quebec and is located within the Capitale-Nationale region. It is the second most populous city in Quebec after Montreal, which is about to the southwest...

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|31st floor
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|61
|Smith Tower

Smith Tower

Smith Tower is a skyscraper in Pioneer Square in Seattle, Washington. Completed in 1914, the 38 storey, tower is the oldest skyscraper in the city and was the tallest office building west of the Mississippi River until the Kansas City Power & Light Building was built in 1931...

|1914
|Skyscraper
| United StatesSeattle

Seattle, Washington

Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...

|122
|141
|35th floor
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|62
|Kuwait viewing sphere

Kuwait Towers

The Kuwait Towers are three towers of reinforced concrete in Kuwait City. The main tower is 187 metres high and serves as a restaurant and water tower. It also has a Viewing Sphere which rises to 123 metres above sea level and completes a full turn every 30 minutes. The second tower is 145.8 metres...

|1979
|Concrete tower
| KuwaitKuwait City

Kuwait City

-Suburbs:Although the districts below are not usually recognized as suburbs, the following is a list of a few areas surrounding Kuwait city:Al-Salam ""السلام"" -Economy:...

|120
|187
| (1990 Liberation Tower

Liberation Tower

The Liberation Tower is the second tallest structure in Kuwait. Construction of the tower commenced before the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait on August 2, 1990. It was meant to be called The Kuwait Telecommunications Tower....

 of ~300 m is not open to public)
|-
|63
|National Monument (Indonesia)
|1975
|Obelisk Monument
| IndonesiaJakarta

Jakarta

Jakarta is the capital and largest city of Indonesia. Officially known as the Special Capital Territory of Jakarta, it is located on the northwest coast of Java, has an area of , and a population of 9,580,000. Jakarta is the country's economic, cultural and political centre...

|115
|132
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|64
|KölnTriangle

KölnTriangle

KölnTriangle is a tall building in Deutz, Cologne, and a prominent landmark in Cologne. The building was designed by Cologne-based architecture firm Gatermann + Schossig and completed in 2006. It's south facade consists of a double-facade, allowing natural ventilation even at high floors...

|2006
|Skyscraper
| Cologne

Cologne

Cologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the Germany Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants.Cologne is located on both sides of the...

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|29th floor
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|65
|Faro de Moncloa

Faro de Moncloa

The Faro de Moncloa is a 100-metre-high transmission tower with an observation deck at the Plaza De Moncloa, Madrid, Spain. It was projected by architect Salvador Pérez Arroyo and built in 1992. The tower has been closed to the public since 2005....

|1992
|Concrete Tower
| SpainMadrid

Madrid

Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...

|90
|110
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|66
|Statue of Liberty

Statue of Liberty

The Statue of Liberty is a colossal neoclassical sculpture on Liberty Island in New York Harbor, designed by Frédéric Bartholdi and dedicated on October 28, 1886...

|1886
|Statue
| United StatesLiberty Island

Liberty Island

Liberty Island is a small uninhabited island in New York Harbor in the United States, best known as the location of the Statue of Liberty. Though so called since the turn of the century, the name did not become official until 1956. In 1937, by proclamation 2250, President Franklin D...

|80
|93
| crown level (~90 m torch level closed to public in 1916)http://www.nps.gov/stli/faqs.htm
|-
|67
|Liberty Memorial

Liberty Memorial

The Liberty Memorial, located in Kansas City, Missouri, USA, is a memorial to the fallen soldiers of World War I and houses the The National World War I Museum, as designated by the United States Congress in 2004.. Groundbreaking commenced November 1, 1921, and the city held a site dedication...

|1926
|Concrete tower
| United StatesKansas City

Kansas City, Missouri

Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...

|66
|66
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|68
|Coit Tower

Coit Tower

Coit Tower is a tower in the Telegraph Hill neighborhood of San Francisco, California. The tower, in the city's Pioneer Park, was built in 1933 at the request of Lillie Hitchcock Coit to beautify the city of San Francisco; Coit bequeathed one-third of her estate to the city "to be expended in an...

|1933
|Concrete tower
| United StatesSan Francisco
|64
|64
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|69
|Mt Washington towers

Mount Washington (Pittsburgh)

Mount Washington is a neighborhood in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania's south city area. It has a zip code of 15211 and has representation on Pittsburgh City Council by both the council members for District 3 and District 2 .It is known for its steep hill overlooking the Pittsburgh skyline, which was...

|2000
|Steel Structure
| United StatesPittsburgh
|66
|66
| towers overlook Downtown Pittsburgh
|-
|70
|John Hancock Tower

John Hancock Tower

The John Hancock Tower, officially named Hancock Place and colloquially known as The Hancock, is a 60-story, 790-foot skyscraper in Boston. The tower was designed by Henry N. Cobb of the firm I. M. Pei & Partners and was completed in 1976...

|1976
|Skyscraper
| United StatesBoston
|60
|241
|Closed to the public since the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
|}

List of highest observation decks by type

Type	Name and Location	Constructed	Height	Notes
Enclosed	Shanghai World Financial Center Shanghai World Financial Center The most distinctive feature in the design of the building is an aperture at the peak. The original design specified a circular aperture, in diameter, to reduce the stresses of wind pressure, as well as serve as a subtext for the design, since "Chinese mythology represents the earth with a square... , Shanghai Shanghai Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010... , China China Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...	2008	474 m (1,555 ft)
Outdoor	Burj Khalifa, Dubai Dubai Dubai is a city and emirate in the United Arab Emirates . The emirate is located south of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula and has the largest population with the second-largest land territory by area of all the emirates, after Abu Dhabi... , United Arab Emirates United Arab Emirates The United Arab Emirates, abbreviated as the UAE, or shortened to "the Emirates", is a state situated in the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia on the Persian Gulf, bordering Oman, and Saudi Arabia, and sharing sea borders with Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and Iran.The UAE is a...	2010	452.1 m (1,483 ft)
On skyscraper	Shanghai World Financial Center Shanghai World Financial Center The most distinctive feature in the design of the building is an aperture at the peak. The original design specified a circular aperture, in diameter, to reduce the stresses of wind pressure, as well as serve as a subtext for the design, since "Chinese mythology represents the earth with a square... , Shanghai Shanghai Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010... , China China Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...	2008	474 m (1,555 ft)
On tower	Canton Tower, Guangzhou Guangzhou Guangzhou , known historically as Canton or Kwangchow, is the capital and largest city of the Guangdong province in the People's Republic of China. Located in southern China on the Pearl River, about north-northwest of Hong Kong, Guangzhou is a key national transportation hub and trading port... , China China Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...	2011	459.2 m (1,507 ft)
Bridge	Royal Gorge Bridge Royal Gorge Bridge The Royal Gorge Bridge is a tourist attraction near Cañon City, Colorado, within a theme park. The bridge deck hangs above the Arkansas River, and held the record of highest bridge in the world from 1929 until 2003, when it was surpassed by the Beipanjiang River 2003 Bridge in China. It is a...	1929	291 m (955 ft)	Above water level Water level Water level or gage height or stage is the elevation of the free surface of a stream, lake or reservoir relative to a specified datum .... .
Dam	Vajont Dam Vajont Dam The Vajont Dam is a disused dam, completed in 1959 in the valley of the Vajont river under Monte Toc, 100 km north of Venice, Italy...	1959	262 m (860 ft)	Dependant on weather and whether open to the public.
Demolished	One & Two World Trade Center World Trade Center The original World Trade Center was a complex with seven buildings featuring landmark twin towers in Lower Manhattan, New York City, United States. The complex opened on April 4, 1973, and was destroyed in 2001 during the September 11 attacks. The site is currently being rebuilt with five new...  (article Top of the World Trade Center Observatories Top of the World Trade Center Observatories was a popular tourist attraction and observation deck on the 107th floor and roof of 2 World Trade Center, the South Tower of the World Trade Center in Lower Manhattan in New York City... ), New York City New York City New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and... , USA	1972 & 1973	420 m (1,378 ft)	Destroyed during the September 11 attacks.

Timeline of world's highest observation decks

This is a timeline of the development of world's highest observation decks since inauguration of the Eiffel Tower

Eiffel Tower

The Eiffel Tower is a puddle iron lattice tower located on the Champ de Mars in Paris. Built in 1889, it has become both a global icon of France and one of the most recognizable structures in the world...

 in 1889.

Held record		Name and Location	Constructed	Height of highest observation deck	Notes
From	To
1889	1931	Eiffel Tower Eiffel Tower The Eiffel Tower is a puddle iron lattice tower located on the Champ de Mars in Paris. Built in 1889, it has become both a global icon of France and one of the most recognizable structures in the world... , Paris Paris Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region... , France France The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...	1889	275 m (902 ft)	Two further observation decks 57 & 115 m.
1931	1973	Empire State Building Empire State Building The Empire State Building is a 102-story landmark skyscraper and American cultural icon in New York City at the intersection of Fifth Avenue and West 34th Street. It has a roof height of 1,250 feet , and with its antenna spire included, it stands a total of 1,454 ft high. Its name is derived... , New York City New York City New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and... , USA	1931	369 m (1,211 ft)	A second observation deck is located on the 86th floor at 320 metres above ground.
1973	1974	World Trade Center World Trade Center The original World Trade Center was a complex with seven buildings featuring landmark twin towers in Lower Manhattan, New York City, United States. The complex opened on April 4, 1973, and was destroyed in 2001 during the September 11 attacks. The site is currently being rebuilt with five new... , New York City New York City New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and... , USA (article Top of the World Trade Center Observatories Top of the World Trade Center Observatories was a popular tourist attraction and observation deck on the 107th floor and roof of 2 World Trade Center, the South Tower of the World Trade Center in Lower Manhattan in New York City... )	1973	399.4 m (1,310 ft)	Indoor observatory on the 107th floor of South Tower opened on April 4, 1973. Destroyed during the September 11 attacks.
1974	1975	Willis Tower, Chicago Chicago Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles... , USA	1974	412.4 m (1,353 ft)	103rd floor observation deck opened on June 22, 1974
1975	1976	World Trade Center World Trade Center The original World Trade Center was a complex with seven buildings featuring landmark twin towers in Lower Manhattan, New York City, United States. The complex opened on April 4, 1973, and was destroyed in 2001 during the September 11 attacks. The site is currently being rebuilt with five new... , New York City New York City New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and... , USA (article Top of the World Trade Center Observatories Top of the World Trade Center Observatories was a popular tourist attraction and observation deck on the 107th floor and roof of 2 World Trade Center, the South Tower of the World Trade Center in Lower Manhattan in New York City... )	1973	420 m (1,378 ft)	Outdoor observatory on rooftop of the South Tower opened on December 15, 1975. Destroyed during the September 11 attacks.
1976	2008	CN Tower CN Tower The CN Tower is a communications and observation tower in Downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Standing tall, it was completed in 1976, becoming the world's tallest free-standing structure and world's tallest tower at the time. It held both records for 34 years until the completion of the Burj... , Toronto Toronto Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from... , Canada Canada Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...	1976	446.5 m (1,465 ft)	Two further observation decks 342 and 346 metres above ground.
2008	-	Shanghai World Financial Centre, Shanghai Shanghai Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010... , People's Republic of China People's Republic of China China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...	2008	474 m (1,555 ft)	Other observation decks are at 423 m (1,388 ft) and 439 m (1,440 ft).

• Note: Higher observation decks have existed on mountain peak
  Mountain peak
  A mountain peak is the highest part of a mountain; a mountaintop; the summit.Mountain Peak may also refer to:* Blue Mountain Peak, Jamaica* Hole in the Mountain Peak, Nevada, USA...
  
  s or cliff
  Cliff
  In geography and geology, a cliff is a significant vertical, or near vertical, rock exposure. Cliffs are formed as erosion landforms due to the processes of erosion and weathering that produce them. Cliffs are common on coasts, in mountainous areas, escarpments and along rivers. Cliffs are usually...
  
  s, rather than on tall structures. For example, the Royal Gorge Bridge
  Royal Gorge Bridge
  The Royal Gorge Bridge is a tourist attraction near Cañon City, Colorado, within a theme park. The bridge deck hangs above the Arkansas River, and held the record of highest bridge in the world from 1929 until 2003, when it was surpassed by the Beipanjiang River 2003 Bridge in China. It is a...
  
   in Cañon City, Colorado
  Cañon City, Colorado
  The City of Cañon City is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and the most populous city of Fremont County, State of Colorado. The United States Census Bureau estimated that the city population was 16,000 in 2005. Cañon City is noted for being the location of nine state and four ...
  
  , USA, was constructed in 1929 spanning the Royal Gorge
  Royal Gorge
  The Royal Gorge is a canyon on the Arkansas River near Cañon City, Colorado. With a width of at its base and a few hundred feet at its top, and a depth of in places, the 10-mile-long canyon is a narrow, steep gorge through the granite of Fremont Peak...
  
   at a height of 321 m (1,053.1 ft) above the Arkansas River
  Arkansas River
  The Arkansas River is a major tributary of the Mississippi River. The Arkansas generally flows to the east and southeast as it traverses the U.S. states of Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. The river's initial basin starts in the Western United States in Colorado, specifically the Arkansas...
  
  . See also List of tallest buildings and structures in the world#World's highest observation deck