CN Tower

Why the CN Tower is special
The CN Tower in Toronto, Canada is one of the highest and most striking free-standing towers in the world. It rises an astounding 553 meters (1815 feet) above the ground. On a clear day you can see about 100 kilometers (60 miles) away.

CN Tower tips and insights
Skypod
The 447-meter (1465-foot) high Skypod is the CN Tower's observatory.

The other observatory
There is also a large ring-shaped protrusion (see photo) at about 340 meters or 1100 feet up. It sports an indoor observatory, an outdoor viewing platform, an upscale revolving restaurant, and a casual cafe.

The indoor observatory features a glass floor. Walk on it and you see nothing but empty space between you and the ground some 90 floors below. Not for acrophobics.

Edgewalk
Walk hands-free around a rail-less ridge that encircles the Skypod's open roof. You're tethered for safety's sake, but the ticket cost and scare factor are sky high.

Going up
An elevator with a glass wall whisks you up the side of the CN Tower to the ring-shaped level. From there, an indoor elevator transports you to the Skypod.

Stairway
There is a 1,776-step interior stairway, but it's closed to the public except for special walk-up fund raisers for nonprofit organizations.

Construction
The CN Tower was built in 1976 as a communications tower and a tourism attraction.

Tallest?

• World's tallest building?
  Despite its amazing height, the CN Tower never earned the "tallest building in the world" title because - by expert consensus - it is technically a tower, not a building.
  
• World's tallest tower?
  And, it was never the world's tallest tower. That designation belongs to a rural communications mast in South Dakota, USA.
  
• World's tallest free-standing tower?
  The CN Tower once held the "tallest free-standing tower" accolade (the South Dakota structure isn't free-standing because it is supported by guy wires). The Burj Khalifa in the Dubai is now the highest free-standing tower.

Name
It gained its "CN" initials from its original owner, the Canadian National Railway.

Light show
The exterior of the CN Tower is spectacularly aglow at night with colorful LED lighting.

Visitor count
The CN Tower attracts roughly 2 million visitors a year.

Summertime lines
Waiting lines can be long during the peak summer tourist season. Try to avoid summer weekends - and arrive either before 10:30 a.m. or after 4 p.m.

Weather forecast
On low-cloud days, you might not see anything. Check the weather forecast before buying your admission ticket.

Location in Canada