Rotating bars and restaurants were a hallmark of the 1960s and ’70s, offering 360-degree views without leaving your seat. After decades of standing still, many of these midcentury icons are spinning again. The first widely recognized rotating restaurant was atop Seattle’s Space Needle in 1961, but it took off around the nation, including the South. Many of these odes to the midcentury have long since stopped turning, but a recent resurgence is bringing them back for modern visitors. Check out six of our favorites, in order from oldest to newest.
Carousel Bar, New Orleans, Louisiana
Unlike any bar in the nation, the Carousel Bar is a New Orleans icon, delighting guests in the Hotel Monteleone since 1949. Predating most bars and restaurants of its kind by nearly two decades, the Carousel Bar opened as a 25-seat attraction inside the former Swan Room. Its circus tent-inspired design drew regulars like Truman Capote and Tennessee Williams.
The menu has had several drink options in its 75-plus years, including the classic Sazerac. Since the Vieux Carré is said to have originated here, order the classic mix of rye whiskey, cognac, and sweet vermouth. And if you need a nosh, pair with the blue crab and corn beignets, a savory spin on the New Orleans classic.
Pier Top, Fort Lauderdale, Florida
The 60-year-old Pier Sixty-Six Resort reopened last year, restoring its legacy in Fort Lauderdale, the Yachting Capital of the World. The Phillips Petroleum Company, the company behind Phillips 66, originally built the hotel on the Intracoastal Waterway. One of the biggest projects was the restoration of Pier Top, the rotating cocktail lounge on the 17th floor, after hurricane damage.
The glamorous space is filled with chrome details and bright colors, taking around an hour to make its full rotation. Dress the part for this trendy bar, where you can take in evening views of the surrounding marina. The menu includes a “rotating” (get it?) oyster selection, caviar, and creative cocktails. The Sixty-Six is made with gin and prosecco with yuzu and citrus notes.
Polaris, Atlanta, Georgia
The space-age-style Polaris in Atlanta’s Hyatt Regency is one of the most interesting landmarks on the skyline, originally part of the hotel brand’s chain of rotating restaurants. Designed by famed architect John Portman, the hotel opened in 1967 as what was then the tallest in the city. The lounge caused an immediate splash with its blue glass dome and floor-to-ceiling windows, 312 feet above the street. Celebrities like Jim Morrison, Gladys Knight, and Sidney Poitier hung out there and, after another hotel refused him service, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. held a luncheon there…