Terminal Tower, Beaux-Arts skyscraper in Downtown Cleveland, United States
Terminal Tower is a 52-story, 708 ft (216 m) skyscraper on Public Square in downtown Cleveland, built as the office tower above the Cleveland Union Terminal rail station. Designed by Graham, Anderson, Probst & White and modeled on the Beaux-Arts New York Municipal Building by McKim, Mead and White, it rises as a light gray stone shaft with rows of rectangular windows, a tiered pyramidal crown and a small finial. Lower wings frame a recessed court, and near the base a round clock sits above large arched openings.
Construction began in 1923 for the Van Sweringen brothers, who planned a 14-story building atop their new Cleveland Union Terminal; it grew to 52 floors and reached its full height on August 18, 1927. Tenants moved in during 1928, and the terminal complex was dedicated in 1930. It was the tallest building in the world outside New York until Moscow State University's main building was finished in 1953, and the tallest in North America outside New York until Boston's Prudential Center in 1964. It remained Ohio's tallest until Key Tower in 1991.
The tower's 508 LEDs are set to specific colors for Cleveland causes and communities: red in February for the American Heart Association's Go Red for Women, pink in October for Breast Cancer Awareness, green on Saint Patrick's Day, white and red on Polish Constitution Day (May 3), and red, green and white for Columbus Day.
Visitors reach the observation deck on the 42nd floor through two separate elevator rides, and advance online ticket purchases are recommended to avoid waiting. Allow extra time for the journey, particularly during busy hours when both elevators must be used sequentially.
During World War II the tower's exterior lights were extinguished as part of civil defense measures, remaining dark for decades. The lights returned only in 1974 during a community fundraising campaign, marking a symbolic moment for the city.
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