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A public viewing area is a space set aside for members of the public to safely view sites of interest, such as airports, railroads, construction sites or other facilities. Sometimes they are known as visitor centers or interpretive sites. In locations that have inherent dangers and would not normally be accessible to the public, viewing areas provide a way to satiate the public curiosity without exposing inordinate risk. Many sites contain descriptive signs, viewing pavilions, picnic facilities, toilets, radio receivers and brochures.


Examples


Airports

* Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (KAUS), Family Viewing Area is located near the State Aircraft Pooling Board (fancy talk for where aircraft belonging to the State of Texas gets maintained and stored) at the end of Golf Course Road. and faces west to runway 17L/35R. The Family Viewing Area also has paved parking, grassy areas, a picnic table. * Baltimore–Washington International Airport (KBWI), has the Thomas A Dixon Jr Aircraft Observation Park located just to the south of Dorsey Road which is a viewing area complete with parking, picnic tables, trash cans, and a playground. The BWI Loop Trail also runs through the park. * Charlotte-Douglas International Airport (KCLT) in Charlotte, North Carolina has the Charlotte Airport Overlook which is located on the west side of the airport on Old Dowd Road, near the threshold of 18C. It is also equipped with a large parking lot, benches and picnic tables. *
Chicago Executive Airport Chicago Executive Airport , formerly Palwaukee Municipal Airport, is a public airport 18 miles (33 km) northwest of Chicago, in the village of Wheeling, Illinois, Wheeling in Cook County, Illinois, Cook County, Illinois, United States. It i ...
(Palwaukee) (KPWK) in Wheeling, Illinois, has a public viewing area along Palatine Frontage Road that allows the public to view aircraft operations at the airport and provides seating, parking and airport information. A speaker with Air Traffic Control radio operations allows visitors to hear the planes and control tower. * Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (KDFW) has a public viewing area located at Founders Plaza. The 6-acre (2.4 ha) plaza features a granite monument and sculpture, post-mounted binoculars, piped-in voices of air traffic controllers and shade pavilions. In 2010, a memorial honoring Delta Air Lines Flight 191 was dedicated at the plaza. * Mitchell International Airport (KMKE) in Milwaukee, WI has a public viewing area located on the north edge of the airport along Layton Avenue providing parking and rebroadcast of ATC communications. *
Aurora Municipal Airport Chicago/Aurora Municipal Airport is a public airport opened in April 1966, located in the village of Sugar Grove, Illinois, United States, west of the city of Aurora, both in Kane County. The airport is owned and operated by the City of A ...
(KARR) in Sugar Grove, Illinois has a picnic table next to the control tower where the public can safely view operations. *
DeKalb Airport DeKalb or De Kalb may refer to: People * Baron Johann de Kalb (1721–1780), major general in the American Revolutionary War Places Municipalities in the United States * DeKalb, Illinois, the largest city in the United States named DeKalb **DeKal ...
(KDKB) in
DeKalb, Illinois DeKalb ( ) is a city in DeKalb County, Illinois, United States. The population was 43,862 according to the 2010 census, up from 39,018 at the 2000 census. The city is named after decorated Franconian- French war hero Johann de Kalb, who died ...
has a viewing area set up at the east end of the hangar row. *
McCarran International Airport Harry Reid International Airport is an international airport in Paradise, Nevada, and is the main government airport for public use in the Las Vegas Valley, a metropolitan area in the U.S. state of Nevada, about south of Downtown Las Vegas. ...
(KLAS) in
Paradise, Nevada Paradise is an unincorporated town and census-designated place (CDP) in Clark County, Nevada, United States, adjacent to the city of Las Vegas. It was formed on December 8, 1950. Its population was 191,238 at the 2020 census, making it the fif ...
(Las Vegas) has a viewing area along
Sunset Road State Route 562 (SR 562) is an east–west highway in the Las Vegas Valley that comprises a portion of Sunset Road. Route description SR 562 begins at the intersection of Sunset Road and Las Vegas Boulevard (former SR 604/US 91/ US 466). Th ...
next to the longest two runways at the airport. Tower communications are available on FM radios. * Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (KMSP) has a viewing area located at the end of Cargo Road next to the FedEx Shipping Center where plane spotters can see aircraft land and take off from two different runways. Picnic tables, trash cans, and parking are provided. * Nashville International Airport (KBNA) in Nashville, TN has a viewing area off of Vultee Avenue, east of Briley Parkway (TN-155). Picnic tables, trash cans and parking are provided. * Palm Beach International Airport (KPBI) in
Palm Beach, Florida Palm Beach is an incorporated town in Palm Beach County, Florida. Located on a barrier island in east-central Palm Beach County, the town is separated from several nearby cities including West Palm Beach and Lake Worth Beach by the Intracoas ...
has a viewing area in a small park on the south side of the field on Perimeter Rd, just east of the approach end of Runway 31. Picnic tables, trash cans and parking are provided. *
Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''facere'' ...
(KFLL) in
Fort Lauderdale, Florida Fort Lauderdale () is a coastal city located in the U.S. state of Florida, north of Miami along the Atlantic Ocean. It is the county seat of and largest city in Broward County with a population of 182,760 at the 2020 census, making it the tenth ...
has three viewing areas. The Ron Gardner Aircraft Observation Area is on the south side of the approach end of Runway 10L, just east of the Animal Shelter. Picnic tables, trash cans and parking are provided. A loudspeaker monitors the tower. Another observation area is located on the top level of the Hibiscus Parking Garage. A third viewing area is just south of Runway 10R in the Airport Greenbelt Park. * Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport (KFXE) in
Fort Lauderdale, Florida Fort Lauderdale () is a coastal city located in the U.S. state of Florida, north of Miami along the Atlantic Ocean. It is the county seat of and largest city in Broward County with a population of 182,760 at the 2020 census, making it the tenth ...
has a viewing area southwest of Runway 8. Picnic tables, trash cans, and parking are provided. A loudspeaker monitors the tower. *
Hinckley Airport Hinckley Airport is a privately owned, public-use airport located three nautical miles (6 km) west of the central business district of Hinckley, a village in DeKalb County, Illinois, United States. Facilities and aircraft Hinckley Airport ...
in Hinckley, Illinois has a picnic table along the grass strip for people to watch the aircraft operations and skydivers returning. The airport is used mostly for glider operations (Windy City Soaring) and skydiving, the skydivers (usually) return to a clearing just north of runway 9/27. *
Rochelle Municipal Airport Rochelle Municipal Airport , also known as Koritz Field, is a city-owned public-use airport located two nautical miles (2.3 mi, 3.7 km) south of the central business district of Rochelle, a city in Ogle County, Illinois, United State ...
in Rochelle, Illinois hosts the Chicagoland Skydiving Center, and its ramp is open to the public for viewing. A bar and restaurant affords views of the operations. Aside from the skydiving operations (with airplanes and helicopters) other airport operations are easily viewed and photographed. * Glendale Municipal Airport in
Glendale, Arizona Glendale () is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, Maricopa County, Arizona, United States, located approximately northwest of Downtown Phoenix. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it had a population of 248,325. History In the la ...
has a $100 Hamburger restaurant overlooking the main apron and runway, this also has a patio outside where visitors can enjoy the weather, view the aircraft operations and have meals. When the restaurant is closed the patio remains open for seating. * Phoenix Deer Valley Airport in Phoenix, Arizona has a patio area facing the runways adjacent to the terminal building and a restaurant with a view of the runways. Radio receivers for the Ground Control and both Control Tower channels allow one to hear the radio traffic. *
Manchester Airport Manchester Airport is an international airport in Ringway, Manchester, England, south-west of Manchester city centre. In 2019, it was the third busiest airport in the United Kingdom in terms of passenger numbers and the busiest of those n ...
in Manchester, England has had public viewing areas since the airport opened in 1938. The "Runway Visitor Park" not only allows viewing of aircraft movements, but also has a café, aviation souvenir shop, and several aircraft on display, including retired Concorde G-BOAC and others. * Scottsdale Municipal Airport in Scottsdale, Arizona has an outside patio with benches and control tower audio accessible thru the terminal building. While glass windows separate the ramp from the patio (making pictures difficult) and excellent view of the ramp and runway is afforded. Control Tower radio traffic is also heard in the terminal itself. *
Raleigh Durham International Airport Raleigh (; ) is the capital city of the state of North Carolina and the seat of Wake County in the United States. It is the second-most populous city in North Carolina, after Charlotte. Raleigh is the tenth-most populous city in the Southea ...
(KRDU) has Observation Park which provides sweeping views of RDU’s 10,000-foot runway and is located near the Air Traffic Control Tower. It has an elevated observation area, radios that play tower communications, and a picnic area. Free parking and restrooms are provided. * Van Nuys Airport has a public viewing center on the east side of the airport near the intersection of Woodley Ave. and Waterman Drive.


Railroads

* Rochelle, Illinois, has built a public viewing area at the crossing of the Union Pacific and BNSF railroads there, complete with an elevated shelter, parking lot, gift shop, toilet facilities and BBQ grills. They pipe in railroad radio audio on 106.9 MHz so visitors can listen to the radio traffic on FM radios. '' Trains'' magazine also sponsors a webcam to allow viewing of via the Internet. *
Folkston, Georgia Folkston is a city in and the county seat of Charlton County, Georgia, United States. Folkston is in the Jacksonville Metropolitan Area. The population was 2,502 as of the 2010 census, up from 2,178 in 2000, largely due to the extension of the c ...
has a small but well-appointed viewing area, overlooking the "Folkston Funnel", a stretch of track where two CSX lines have combined for a large amount of rail traffic. The shelter itself has some chairs, rail radio broadcasts, ample parking and electrical outlets for charging camera batteries. The only amenity it lacks is a restroom, but there is a McDonald's within a block that is railfan friendly. Highlights of viewing include up to 60 trains a day, including the auto train and the Tropicana juice train. * Homewood, Illinois has built a public viewing platform at the south end of the CN (former
Illinois Central The Illinois Central Railroad , sometimes called the Main Line of Mid-America, was a railroad in the Central United States, with its primary routes connecting Chicago, Illinois, with New Orleans, Louisiana, and Mobile, Alabama. A line also co ...
) Markham Yard. This location is on the east side of the tracks and is connected by a tunnel under the tracks to the Homewood Metra / Amtrak station. Near the station is a static display of an IC GP10 and caboose. There is a
Starbucks Starbucks Corporation is an American multinational chain of coffeehouses and roastery reserves headquartered in Seattle, Washington. It is the world's largest coffeehouse chain. As of November 2021, the company had 33,833 stores in 80 c ...
coffee shop on the other side of Harwood Avenue from the viewing platform and there are several restaurants within an easy walk in downtown Homewood.


Locks and dams

Many lock and dam facilities along the various rivers in the US have public viewing areas, including: *
Lock and Dam No. 15 Lock and Dam No. 15 is a lock and dam located on the Upper Mississippi River. It spans the river between Rock Island, Illinois and Davenport, Iowa. Lock and Dam 15 is the largest roller dam in the world, its dam is long and consists of nine no ...
in
Rock Island, Illinois Rock Island is a city in and the county seat of Rock Island County, Illinois, Rock Island County, Illinois, United States. The original Rock Island, from which the city name is derived, is now called Rock Island Arsenal, Arsenal Island. The popul ...
on the Mississippi River *
Olmsted Locks and Dam The Olmsted Locks and Dam is a locks and wicket dam on the Ohio River at river mile 964.4. The project is intended to reduce tow and barge delays by replacing the existing older, and frequently congested, locks and dams Number 52 and Number 53. ...
in Olmsted, Illinois on the
Ohio River The Ohio River is a long river in the United States. It is located at the boundary of the Midwestern and Southern United States, flowing southwesterly from western Pennsylvania to its mouth on the Mississippi River at the southern tip of Illino ...
*
Lock and Dam No. 12 Lock and Dam No. 12 is a lock and dam located on the Upper Mississippi River at Bellevue, Iowa, United States. The movable portion of the dam starts at the locks adjacent to the Iowa shore and is long, consisting of seven tainter gates and th ...
in
Bellevue, Iowa Bellevue ( ) is a city in eastern Jackson County, Iowa, United States. The city lies along the Mississippi River (at Lock and Dam No. 12) and next to Bellevue State Park. In 2020 its population was 2,363; up from a count of 2,191 at the 2010 ...
on the Mississippi River *
Robert Moses Niagara Power Plant The Robert Moses Niagara Hydroelectric Power Station is a hydroelectric power station in Lewiston, New York, near Niagara Falls. Owned and operated by the New York Power Authority (NYPA), the plant diverts water from the Niagara River above Niag ...
near Lewiston, New York, on the
Niagara River The Niagara River () is a river that flows north from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario. It forms part of the border between the province of Ontario in Canada (on the west) and the state of New York (state), New York in the United States (on the east) ...
, has an extensive interpretive center known as th
Niagara Power Vista
*
Hoover Dam Hoover Dam is a concrete arch-gravity dam in the Black Canyon of the Colorado River, on the border between the U.S. states of Nevada and Arizona. It was constructed between 1931 and 1936 during the Great Depression and was dedicated on Se ...
near Boulder City, Nevada, on the Colorado River, has an extremely large interpretive center and tour facility.
/ref> * Parker Dam near Parker, Arizona, on the Colorado River, has a basic viewing area with views of the dam and interpretive signs.


Construction sites

These are, by necessity, often temporary in nature. Harkening back to the " knotholes" in fences used by passersby to view the progress of a site, some large projects provide a glimpse into the construction by intentionally placing viewing ports in fences, often geared toward selling space in the final project.


Sports venues

Some stadiums provide locations where the public can view games in progress without entering the stadium or paying for an admission. AT&T Park in San Francisco, California, home of the San Francisco Giants has such an area.


External links

* Bruce's Planespotting guide: https://web.archive.org/web/20080923210623/http://www.bruceleibowitz.net/spotting-guide.htm * Airport Spotters Wiki: http://www.spotterswiki.com * Homewood Viewing Platform: https://web.archive.org/web/20080509075915/http://blackhawk.artsalive.org/homewood.htm


References

{{Reflist Visitor centers Viewing area