Look up. Way up.
Now look down. Way down.
If you're knees aren't buckling, you'll be amazed by the view.
Welcome to the newest tourist attraction in town that you don't have to be a visitor to want to see. It's the official opening of the new glass-bottomed elevator at the
CN Tower, now the world's second tallest free standing structure.
The car not only provides a great view of the city but now quite literally gives you the shaft as well, letting you look down on the 346-metre journey from the bottom to the top of T.O's most famous symbol.
It gets there before you can say Jack Robinson, which coincidentally, is the name of the Tower's chief operating officer. He admits it may be a bit unnerving for those with a fear of heights, and it is a bit strange to look down and see some very solid but very clear glass under your feet. But there's no risk to the ride.
"We're all saying it will hold 14 hippos," Robinson jokes. "But we can't get 14 hippos in the elevator. But it's safe, I can assure you."
For now, the see-through lift is only available on one of the giant needle's six elevators, so priority will be given to anyone who buys a Total Tower or premium ticket.
Oh, and about that second place reference - the famous building lost its claim to fame as the world's largest free standing structure when the
Burj Dubai, a 160-storey hotel, residential and commercial building in the United Arab Emirates, passed the 629 metre mark. And they're still building it.
CN Tower Glass Elevator By The Numbers
Length from top to bottom: 346 metres (1,136 feet)
Top speed: 22km/h or 15mph
Length of ride: about 58 seconds.
Floor panels: 2½" thick.
Total Tower experience: (includes Look Out, Glass Floor and Sky Pod Observation Levels, Film, and Motion Theatre Ride: $32.99 plus tax.
For more on the new elevator,
click here.