A public viewing area is a space set aside for members of the public to safely view sites of interest, such as

airport An airport is an aerodrome with extended facilities, mostly for commercial air transport. Airports usually consists of a landing area, which comprises an aerially accessible open space including at least one operationally active surfa ...

railroad Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a pre ...

construction site Construction is a general term meaning the art and science to form objects, systems, or organizations,"Construction" def. 1.a. 1.b. and 1.c. ''Oxford English Dictionary'' Second Edition on CD-ROM (v. 4.0) Oxford University Press 2009 and co ...

s or other facilities. Sometimes they are known as

visitor center A visitor center or centre (see American and British English spelling differences), visitor information center, tourist information center, is a physical location that provides tourist information to visitors. Types of visitor center A visi ...

s 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 Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport , commonly referred to as BWI or BWI Marshall, is an international airport in the Eastern United States serving mainly Baltimore, Maryland and Washington, D.C. With Dulles Internat ...

(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 Charlotte Douglas International Airport (IATA: CLT, ICAO: KCLT, FAA LID: CLT), typically referred to as Charlotte Douglas, Douglas Airport, or simply CLT, is an international airport in Charlotte, North Carolina, located roughly six miles wes ...

(KCLT) in

Charlotte, North Carolina Charlotte ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located in the Piedmont region, it is the county seat of Mecklenburg County. The population was 874,579 at the 2020 census, making Charlotte the 16th-most populo ...

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 (Palwaukee) (KPWK) in

Wheeling, Illinois Wheeling is a village in Cook and Lake counties in the U.S. state of Illinois. A suburb of Chicago, it is primarily in Cook County, approximately northwest of downtown Chicago. Per the 2020 census, the population was 39,137. Wheeling is named f ...

, 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 Air traffic control (ATC) is a service provided by ground-based air traffic controllers who direct aircraft on the ground and through a given section of controlled airspace, and can provide advisory services to aircraft in non-controlled airs ...

radio operations allows visitors to hear the planes and

control tower Air traffic control (ATC) is a service provided by ground-based air traffic controllers who direct aircraft on the ground and through a given section of controlled airspace, and can provide advisory services to aircraft in non-controlled airs ...

. *

Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport , also known as DFW Airport, is the primary international airport serving the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex and the North Texas Region in the U.S. state of Texas. It is the largest hub for American Ai ...

(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 Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at the 2020 census, Milwaukee is ...

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 (KARR) in

Sugar Grove, Illinois Sugar Grove is a village in Kane County, Illinois, United States. The population at the 2010 census was 8,997, and in 2018 the estimated population was 9,803. Geography Sugar Grove is located in southern Kane County at (41.772529, -88.442374). ...

has a picnic table next to the

where the public can safely view operations. * DeKalb Airport (KDKB) in DeKalb, Illinois has a viewing area set up at the east end of the

hangar A hangar is a building or structure designed to hold aircraft or spacecraft. Hangars are built of metal, wood, or concrete. The word ''hangar'' comes from Middle French ''hanghart'' ("enclosure near a house"), of Germanic origin, from Frankish ...

row. * McCarran International Airport (KLAS) in Paradise, Nevada (Las Vegas) has a viewing area along Sunset Road 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 Nashville International Airport is a public/military airport in the southeastern section of Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Established in 1937, its original name was Berry Field, from which its ICAO and IATA identifiers are derived. The ...

(KBNA) in

Nashville, TN Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the seat of Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the most populous city in the state, 21st most-populous city in the U.S., and the ...

has a viewing area off of Vultee Avenue, east of

Briley Parkway Briley may refer to: People * Alex Briley, member of Village People * Beverly Briley, American politician * Briley Brothers, American spree killers * David Briley (born 1964), American politician * Jonathan Briley, the 9/11 "Falling Man" * Martin ...

(TN-155). Picnic tables, trash cans and parking are provided. *

Palm Beach International Airport Palm Beach International Airport is a public airport in Palm Beach County, Florida, located just west of the city of West Palm Beach, Florida, United States, which it serves as the primary airport for. It is also the primary airport for most o ...

(KPBI) in Palm Beach, Florida 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 (KFLL) in Fort Lauderdale, Florida 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 Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport is a general aviation airport located within the city limits of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Fort Lauderdale, in Broward County, Florida, Broward County, Florida, United States, north of downtown Fort Lauderdale. ...

(KFXE) in Fort Lauderdale, Florida has a viewing area southwest of Runway 8. Picnic tables, trash cans, and parking are provided. A loudspeaker monitors the tower. * Hinckley Airport in

Hinckley, Illinois Hinckley is a village in Squaw Grove Township, DeKalb County, Illinois, United States. The population was 2,070 at the 2010 census, up from 1,994 in 2000. History In the 1830s, a Mr. Hollenbeck, who lived near Ottawa, Illinois, was traveling the ...

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 in

Rochelle, Illinois Rochelle is a city in Ogle County, Illinois. The population was 9,446 at the 2020 census. Rochelle is approximately west of Chicago and south of Rockford. History Originally named Hickory Grove, the town sits at the intersection of two rail ...

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 Parachuting, including also skydiving, is a method of transiting from a high point in the Atmosphere of Earth, atmosphere to the surface of Earth with the aid of gravity, involving the control of speed during the descent using a parachut ...

operations (with

airplanes An airplane or aeroplane (informally plane) is a fixed-wing aircraft that is propelled forward by thrust from a jet engine, propeller, or rocket engine. Airplanes come in a variety of sizes, shapes, and wing configurations. The broad spectr ...

and

helicopters A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by horizontally spinning rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forward, backward and laterally. These attributes ...

) other airport operations are easily viewed and photographed. *

Glendale Municipal Airport Glendale Municipal Airport is a city-owned, public-use airport located west of the central business district of Glendale, a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States. It is included in the National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for ...

in Glendale, Arizona has a $100 Hamburger restaurant overlooking the main apron and

runway According to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), a runway is a "defined rectangular area on a land aerodrome prepared for the landing and takeoff of aircraft". Runways may be a man-made surface (often asphalt, concre ...

, 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 Phoenix Deer Valley Airport is a public airport north of Phoenix, in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States. It is owned by the City of Phoenix. The FAA's National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2009–2013 categorized it as a ''relie ...

Phoenix, Arizona Phoenix ( ; nv, Hoozdo; es, Fénix or , yuf-x-wal, Banyà:nyuwá) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Arizona, with 1,608,139 residents as of 2020. It is the fifth-most populous city in the United States, and the on ...

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 in

Manchester Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The t ...

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

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 The Aérospatiale/BAC Concorde () is a retired Franco-British supersonic airliner jointly developed and manufactured by Sud Aviation (later Aérospatiale) and the British Aircraft Corporation (BAC). Studies started in 1954, and France an ...

G-BOAC and others. *

Scottsdale Municipal Airport Scottsdale Airport is north of downtown Scottsdale, in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States. Most U.S. airports use the same three-letter location identifier for the FAA and IATA, but Scottsdale Airport is SDL to the FAA and SCF to the IA ...

Scottsdale, Arizona , settlement_type = City , named_for = Winfield Scott , image_skyline = , image_seal = Seal of Scottsdale (Arizona).svg , image_blank_emblem = City of Scottsdale Script Logo.svg , nick ...

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 (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 : ''For the United States Air Force use of the airport (1942–1990), see Van Nuys Air National Guard Base'' Van Nuys Airport is a public airport in the Van Nuys neighborhood of the City of Los Angeles. The airport is operated by Los Angeles ...

has a public viewing center on the east side of the airport near the intersection of Woodley Ave. and Waterman Drive.

Railroads

, has built a public viewing area at the crossing of the

Union Pacific The Union Pacific Railroad , legally Union Pacific Railroad Company and often called simply Union Pacific, is a freight-hauling railroad that operates 8,300 locomotives over routes in 23 U.S. states west of Chicago and New Orleans. Union Pac ...

and

BNSF BNSF Railway is one of the largest freight railroads in North America. One of seven North American Class I railroads, BNSF has 35,000 employees, of track in 28 states, and nearly 8,000 locomotives. It has three transcontinental routes that ...

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 FM broadcasting is a method of radio broadcasting using frequency modulation (FM). Invented in 1933 by American engineer Edwin Armstrong, wide-band FM is used worldwide to provide high fidelity sound over broadcast radio. FM broadcasting is cap ...

. ''

Trains In rail transport, a train (from Old French , from Latin , "to pull, to draw") is a series of connected vehicles that run along a railway track and transport people or freight. Trains are typically pulled or pushed by locomotives (often know ...

'' magazine also sponsors a

webcam A webcam is a video camera which is designed to record or stream to a computer or computer network. They are primarily used in videotelephony, livestreaming and social media, and security. Webcams can be built-in computer hardware or peripheral ...

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 CSX Transportation , known colloquially as simply CSX, is a Class I freight railroad operating in the Eastern United States and the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec. The railroad operates approximately 21,000 route miles () of track. ...

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 McDonald's Corporation is an American multinational fast food chain, founded in 1940 as a restaurant operated by Richard and Maurice McDonald, in San Bernardino, California, United States. They rechristened their business as a hambur ...

within a block that is

railfan A railfan, rail buff or train buff (American English), railway enthusiast, railway buff or trainspotter ( Australian/British English), or ferroequinologist is a person who is recreationally interested in trains and rail transport systems. Rai ...

friendly. Highlights of viewing include up to 60 trains a day, including the

auto train ''Auto Train'' is an scheduled daily train service for passengers and their automobiles operated by Amtrak between Lorton, Virginia (near Washington, D.C.), and Sanford, Florida (near Orlando). ''Auto Train'' is the only motorail service i ...

and the

Tropicana Tropicana may refer to: Companies *Tropicana Entertainment, a former casino company that owned several Tropicana-branded casinos *Tropicana Products, a Chicago-based food company known for orange juice Hotels and nightclubs *Tropicana Casino & Re ...

juice train. *

Homewood, Illinois Homewood is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 19,463 at the 2020 census. The village sits just a few miles south of Chicago proper. It is bordered by Chicago Heights and Flossmoor to the south, Hazel Crest to ...

has built a public viewing platform at the south end of the CN (former Illinois Central)

Markham Markham may refer to: It may also refer to brand of of clothing which originates from South Africa which saw it's establishment in 1873. Biology * Markham's storm-petrel (''Oceanodroma markhami''), a seabird species found in Chile and Colombia * ...

Yard. This location is on the east side of the tracks and is connected by a tunnel under the tracks to the Homewood

Metra Metra is the commuter rail system in the Chicago metropolitan area serving the city of Chicago and its surrounding suburbs via the Union Pacific Railroad, BNSF Railway, and other railroads. The system operates 242 stations on 11 rail lines. ...

Amtrak The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak () , is the national passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates inter-city rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous U.S. States and nine cities in Canada ...

station. Near the station is a static display of an IC GP10 and

caboose A caboose is a crewed North American railroad car coupled at the end of a freight train. Cabooses provide shelter for crew at the end of a train, who were formerly required in railway switch, switching and Shunting (rail), shunting, keeping a l ...

. There is a Starbucks 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 Lock(s) may refer to: Common meanings *Lock and key, a mechanical device used to secure items of importance *Lock (water navigation), a device for boats to transit between different levels of water, as in a canal Arts and entertainment * ''Lock ...

and

dam A dam is a barrier that stops or restricts the flow of surface water or underground streams. Reservoirs created by dams not only suppress floods but also provide water for activities such as irrigation, human consumption, industrial use ...

facilities along the various rivers in the US have public viewing areas, including: * Lock and Dam No. 15 in Rock Island, Illinois on the

Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the second-longest river and chief river of the second-largest drainage system in North America, second only to the Hudson Bay drainage system. From its traditional source of Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota, it fl ...

* Olmsted Locks and Dam in

Olmsted, Illinois Olmsted is a village in Pulaski County, Illinois, along the Ohio River. The population was 299 at the 2000 census. Geography Olmsted is located at (37.180733, -89.086431). According to the 2010 census, Olmsted has a total area of , of which ( ...

on the Ohio River * Lock and Dam No. 12 in Bellevue, Iowa on the

* Robert Moses Niagara Power Plant near

Lewiston, New York Lewiston is a town in Niagara County, New York, United States. The population was 15,944 at the 2020 census. The town and its contained village are named after Morgan Lewis, a governor of New York. The Town of Lewiston is on the western bord ...

, on the Niagara River, has an extensive interpretive center known as th
Niagara Power Vista
* Hoover Dam near

Boulder City, Nevada Boulder City is a city in Clark County, Nevada, United States. It is approximately southeast of Las Vegas. As of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, the population of Boulder City was 14,885. The city took its name from Boulder Canyon ( ...

, on the

Colorado River The Colorado River ( es, Río Colorado) is one of the principal rivers (along with the Rio Grande) in the Southwestern United States and northern Mexico. The river drains an expansive, arid watershed that encompasses parts of seven U.S. s ...

, has an extremely large interpretive center and tour facility.
/ref> *

Parker Dam Parker Dam is a concrete arch-gravity dam that crosses the Colorado River downstream of Hoover Dam. Built between 1934 and 1938 by the Bureau of Reclamation, it is high, of which are below the riverbed (the deep excavation was necessary in ...

near

Parker, Arizona Parker ( Mojave 'Amat Kuhwely, formerly 'Ahwe Nyava) is the county seat of La Paz County, Arizona, United States, on the Colorado River in Parker Valley. The population was 3,083 at the 2010 census. History Founded in 1908, the town was named ...

, on the

, 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 "

knothole Wood is a porous and fibrous structural tissue found in the Plant stem, stems and roots of trees and other woody plants. It is an organic materiala natural composite material, composite of cellulose fibers that are strong in tension and emb ...

s" 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 Oracle Park is a Major League Baseball stadium in the SoMa neighborhood of San Francisco, California. Since 2000, it has been the home of the San Francisco Giants. Previously named Pacific Bell Park, SBC Park, and AT&T Park, the stadium's curren ...

San Francisco, California San Francisco (; Spanish for " Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the fourth most populous in California and 17th ...

, home of the

San Francisco Giants The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco, California. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1883 as the New Y ...

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