Century 21 Exposition Souvenir Toy, Space Needle: Museum Object and Cultural History

Century 21 Exposition Souvenir Toy, Space Needle: date made: 1962. Object Name: model. Object Name: toy.

By the Pop Culture Files editorial team•Updated September 30, 2026•2 min read•✓ Fact-checked

Editorial graphic for: Century 21 Exposition Souvenir Toy, Space Needle: Museum Object and Cultural History — Editorial graphic by Pop Culture Files · not a photograph

The object in the museum catalogue

Souvenir model of the Space Needle commemoration the Century 21 Exposition held in Seattle, Washington in 1962. The model components are metal. Made in Japan and in original box.

The Century 21 Exposition was a World’s Fair held in Seattle, Washington in 1962. With the official theme of “Living in the Space Age”, the Exposition promoted an optimistic vision of the future, showcasing advancements in technology and science. Space exploration was a major topic, as the United States was in a heated “space race” with the Soviet Union. Several landmarks built for Century 21, including the 605-foot-tall Space Needle and Seattle Center Monorail, remain in use today. Overall, 25 nations participated in the event, with nearly 10 million people attending.

Materials, dates and provenance

date made: 1962
Object Name: model
Object Name: toy
Object Name: toy, model
Object Name: souvenir
Measurements: overall: 2 1/4 in x 2 3/8 in x 5 1/2 in; 5.715 cm x 6.0325 cm x 13.97 cm
place made: Japan: Japan
Associated Place: United States: Washington, Seattle
Subject: Expositions and Fairs
related event: Century 21 Exposition
ID Number: CL.314637.12594
accession number: 314637
catalog number: 314637.12594
Credit Line: Bequest of Edith R. Meggers
Data Source: National Museum of American History

Sources and reuse

Catalogue descriptions and facts adapted from National Museum of American History through the Smithsonian's official Open Access dataset. This record explicitly marks its metadata CC0 1.0; formatting and selection have been changed.