Bubbleator

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The Bubbleator was a large, bubble-shaped hydraulic elevator with transparent acrylic glass walls operated from an elevated chair built for the 1962 World's Fair in Seattle. These transparent walls gave the illusion of looking through an actual 'soap bubble' by refracting light to obtain a rainbow-like effect for the riders inside. It was originally part of the Washington State Coliseum (now a sports venue known as KeyArena), where it lifted 150 passengers at a time up one floor through a structure of interlocking aluminum cubes to the "World of Tomorrow" exhibit. After the Fair, the Bubbleator was relocated to the Center House at Seattle Center. By 1984, it had been removed and put in storage to make way for the Seattle Children's Museum. It was sold to a private owner in Des Moines, Washington who recycled the upper part of the dome into a green house. The control chair, which had also been in private hands, was donated to the Museum of History and Industry in 2005.

[edit] External links

• Photos of the Bubbleator during the Fair, from the University of Washington
• Photo of the Bubbleator at the Center House, from the Seattle PI
• "What A Great Place!" - Seattle Center
• "Century 21 remnants found new homes" - Seattle PI
• "Fair Bubbleator chair takes seat of honor at MOHAI" - Seattle PI