Frommer's Review
Thanks a lot, Dubai. In 2008, the CN Tower lost its status as the world's tallest freestanding structure in the world to the Bruj Dubai. But in the big picture, who cares? However you approach Toronto, the first thing you see is this slender structure. Glass-walled elevators glide up the 553m (1,815-ft.) tower, first stopping at the 346m-high (1,136-ft.) Look Out level. (The truly fearless can ride up in the incredible new glass-floored elevator, which the CN Tower opened in 2008. Take that, Dubai!) You can walk down one level to experience the Glass Floor, my favorite spot at the tower: Through it, you can see all the way down to street level (even as your heart drops into your shoes). As a bonus, if you wait long enough, you'll undoubtedly see some alpha males daring each other to jump on the glass. (They do, and no, it doesn't break -- the glass can withstand the weight of 14 adult hippos. Now that's a sight I'd like to see.)
Above the Look Out is the world's highest public observation gallery, the Skypod, 447m (1,466 ft.) above the ground. From here, on a clear day you can't quite see forever, but the sweeping vista stretches to Niagara Falls, 161km (100 miles) south, and to Lake Simcoe, 193km (120 miles) north. Unless you're really taken with the tower, I wouldn't recommend it -- the view from the Glass Floor is majestic enough for me. Atop the tower sits a 102m (335-ft.) antenna mast erected over 31 weeks with the aid of a giant Sikorsky helicopter. It took 55 lifts (and no hippos) to complete the operation.
The tower attractions are often revamped. Some perennial draws are the IMAX theater and two flight simulators. A series of interactive displays showcases the CN Tower along with such forerunners as the Eiffel Tower and the Empire State Building (and no, I don't think Dubai is mentioned. . . ).
Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without
notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before
planning your trip.
