Space Needle Shut Down Indefinitely at State Fair

By Jennifer Pierce, NEWS 9

OKLAHOMA CITY -- The State Fair of Oklahoma opens this Thursday, but with one less attraction.

The Space Needle received heavy water damage from the June flash floods. The control system and generators were completely underwater.

Fair spokesperson and Vice President Scott Munz, said the Space Needle's operating system is eight feet underground and the ride could not be fixed in time for the fair.

"We've shut the Space Needle down to some high winds but we've never had to shut it down for this particular reason," said Munz.

It's the first time in four decades that the attraction hasn't been working during the fair.

Munz said it's hard to find parts for the 42-year-old ride and he isn't sure how much it will cost to fix the popular attraction.

"We don't know how expensive the parts are. We haven't even gone down that road on the expense to do the total repair," said Munz.

And if the price tag is too much, the Space Needle may stay closed for good. Fair officials will determine that after this year's fair.