The Minnesota State Fair’s historic Space Tower, soaring more than 300 feet above the eastern edge of the fairgrounds, won’t be taking any more fairgoers up for a ride this year.
Fair spokesperson Christine Noonan said the family of Gretchen and Errol Kantor, which owns and operates the tower, reported that a key piece of electronic equipment has broken down.
“The replacement part won’t get here before the end of the fair,” Noonan told MPR News.
The modernist icon is one of the tallest structures in the area and visible for miles. Passengers on the two-level, revolving gondola are taken on a brief three- to five-minute ride nearly to the top of the tower and back down. Tickets were $5 per person this year.
Reports on social media indicate the issue with the tower may have started last weekend. A sign on the ticket booth for the attraction simply says “Closed for maintenance.” A contact with the Kantor family, provided by the state fair, did not return calls or messages about the tower.
The structure was built in 1964, fabricated in Germany, shipped overseas to Duluth and trucked to the Twin Cities for assembly, according to the ride’s website.
It is one of a number of identical rides that were built around the world, and reflects the Space Race era of its origin. They’re known as gyro towers.
An actual NASA astronaut, Josh Cassada, who went to high school in White Bear Lake, rode the Space Tower last Friday, in what turned out to be one of the final rides of the season.