Tower of the Americas is a 750-foot observation tower/restaurant in San Antonio, Texas

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,...

. The tower was designed by San Antonio architect

Architect

An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...

 O'Neil Ford

O'Neil Ford

O'Neil Ford was a major regional architect of the mid-20th century in Texas and a leading architect of the American Southwest. He is considered one of the nation's best unknown architects, and his designs merged the modernism of Europe with the indigenous qualities of early Texas...

 and was built as the theme structure of the 1968 World's Fair, HemisFair '68

HemisFair '68

HemisFair '68 was the first officially designated world's fair held in the southwestern United States. San Antonio, Texas hosted the fair from April 6 through October 6, 1968. More than thirty nations hosted pavilions at the fair. The fair was held in conjunction with the 250th anniversary of the...

.

The tower was the tallest observation tower in the United States from 1968 until 1996, when the Las 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...

 Stratosphere Tower was completed.

The tower is located in the middle of HemisFair Park and has an observation deck that is accessible by elevator for a fee. In addition, there is also a lounge and revolving restaurant at the top of the tower that provides panoramic views of the city.

Construction History

Construction of the tower began on August 9, 1966 and was completed in approximately 18 months, just in time for the opening ceremonies for the fair held on April 6, 1968. The tophouse of the building was constructed at ground level and hoisted to the top of the poured concrete shaft. As the tophouse was being hoisted into place, on October 30, 1967 some of the cables used to hoist the tophouse snapped leaving the tophouse resting on and precariously tilted on the Tower’s shaft. Eventually, oil field pipes were used in lieu of cables to complete the job.

Tower Restaurant

In 2004, Landry's Restaurants, Inc.

Landry's Restaurants, Inc.

-External links:*...

 won the bid for a 15-year lease to manage and operate the property for the City of San Antonio. Landry's undertook an extensive $8 million renovation of the existing restaurant and lounge and observation deck and added a 4-D film

4-D film

4-D film is a marketing term that describes an entertainment presentation system combining a 3-D film with physical effects in the theatre, which occur in synchronization with the film...

 "ride" called "Skies Over Texas," that gives the history of Texas

Texas

Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...

 in a film

Film

A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...

 format. Additionally, Landry's spent another $4 million to add approximately 200% more space for ground level attractions such as a gift shop and cafe. Renovations were completed and the tower re-opened with the new Eyes Over Texas Restaurant, Bar 601 and the Flags Over Texas observation deck on June 21, 2006. The restaurant rotates slowly as you eat, and observation deck entry is included in the cost of a tower ticket.

In September 2007, Landry's converted the Eyes Over Texas Restaurant into one of its Chart House outlets.

Prior to Landry's, Frontier Enterprises (owner of San Antonio-based Jim's Restaurants) operated the Tower of the Americas' restaurant for more than three decades.

Building Heights

• 750 ft (229 m) to top of the antenna.
• 622 ft (190 m) to top of roof.
• 579 ft (176 m) to indoor observation deck.
• 560 ft (170 m) to outdoor observation deck.
• 550 ft (168 m) to restaurant and stationary level.

FM Radio

Since 1970 the roof has hosted a 30 meter tall tapered steel mast, used as support for three FM antennas; 101.9 KQXT (then known as KCOR-FM), 102.7 KJXK (then KTFM), and 104.5 KZEP (then KITE-FM). In 2007, the three individual antennas were replaced by a 16-Bay master antenna that radiates all three FM signals including the HD signal for KQXT. Clear Channel Radio and Electronics Research Inc. headed up the project along with their contractors and involved the City of San Antonio and Landry's Restaurants. The new antenna system improved coverage for all three radio stations. An option existed for several years to add facilities for a move in signal on 97.7 (requiring rearrangement of ten other stations) to share the site. This was organized by Bret Huggins and David Stewart of Rawhide Radio, LLC (partly owned by Hispanic Broadcasting now Univision radio).

Transmitters are located between the public areas of the observation deck and the revolving restaurant in equipment bays along with air conditioners and plumbing.

See also

• List of tallest buildings in Texas
• Tower Life Building (San Antonio)
  Tower Life Building (San Antonio)
  The Tower Life Building is a landmark and historic building in San Antonio, Texas.Construction of the tower began in 1927 and the building rises 403 feet and has 30 floors. The building, which opened in 1929 was originally named the Smith-Young Tower and is the central component of a partially...
  
  
• List of revolving restaurants

External links

• History of the Tower of the Americas research guide with archival photographs
• Tower of the Americas restaurant
• Emporis: Tower of the Americas
• FCC-Entry