Noobenheim News for Nerds Have you ever thought to yourself, “I would love to slide on a carpet remnant down a 45-foot glass chute 1,000 feet above the ground!”? Well, now you can!
The U.S. Bank Tower in Los Angeles, CA, which currently holds the designation for the tallest building west of the Mississippi, opened their OUE Skyspace LA on June 25th and it includes a fabulous observation deck in addition to the Skyslide which allows you to do just what you have always dreamed!
The 1 ¼” thick bulletproof glass slide is affixed to the outside of the building and navigates riders from inside of the 70th floor to the outside of the 69th floor, landing you on the SkySpace observation deck. As long as you don’t die of a heart attack, you get amazing open-air 360º views of LA!
“But how much does it cost?”, you ask. It’s actually quite reasonable for the type of thrill-inducing effect it will have on you. You can purchase a combo ticket which covers the required admission fee to the building plus one Skyslide ride, at a designated time, for the low, low price of $33 for adults. If you ride it once and just need more, you can purchase as many Skyslide rides as you want for only $8 each! If you need more flexibility in your schedule, it might be worth it to upgrade to the VIP Experience for an additional $15. This lets you come at any time that works for you on your selected date.
The ride isn’t only for adults; kids as young as five can enjoy the slide too. Be warned, it might ruin every playground slide from that moment forward. Also worth a mention, they’re wheelchair accessible and have the equipment necessary for just about anyone to enjoy the ride, including tandem ride capability.
If you’re worried at all about heat or rain or weather or safety, don’t! Skyspace hired engineers and lawyers who have already thought of all of the same things you have! The slide is air-conditioned, so the glass won’t burn you. It is also enclosed, so it can’t get wet in the rain. They will temporarily close the Skyslide and Skyspace observation deck if the weather gets too out of hand, such as thunder and lightning.
“But what about earthquakes?”, you ask. “This IS California!” The slide was built to withstand 110mph hurricane force winds. I’m not sure how many hurricanes actually hit LA at full speed in a given season, but it’s good to know if one did this slide would be okay. It’s difficult to find anything that specifically addresses how big of an earthquake the slide could withstand before cracking and falling to the street below, but Michael Ludvik, one of the engineers who designed the slide, said that “it is as strong as structural steel.” So take that for what it’s worth and go have the ride of a lifetime before an earthquake hits and the glass loses its integrity!
