Six long years after the observation deck at Reunion Tower closed, it reopens as the re-branded GeO-Deck on Saturday, October 5, with new high-tech and interactive features designed to enhance its bird's-eye view of Dallas.
There is also a new quick-serve restaurant on the middle level called Cloud Nine Cafe.
The deck was closed to the public in 2007. Parts of Reunion Tower and Union Station were renovated in 2008. Five Sixty, the Wolfgang Puck restaurant that's at the top of the tower, opened in 2009.
Named after the geodesic sphere that sits atop Reunion Tower, the GeO-Deck features tricked-up color-changing lights and a floor that looks like a map of the city. A system nicknamed Halo utilizes 30 touch screens that allow visitors to identify landmarks, buildings and other businesses visible from atop the 560-foot tower.
The touch screens also offer the option to view a live video feed via high-definition cameras placed around the sphere, letting visitors zoom in and out on anything they want to see. From now through November, visitors can also view an exclusive video about the JFK assassination featuring witnesses to the tragedy, a good history lesson considering the view the tower offers of the Sixth Floor Museum and Dealey Plaza.
Anyone who bemoaned having to look through the "chain link fence" that existed in the observation deck's previous incarnation will welcome the switch to thin horizontal wire cables. They allow relatively unobstructed views, not to mention easy access for iPhones and cameras.
Cloud Nine Café takes over the old Top of the Dome bar location, with floor-to-ceiling windows that provide the same 360-degree views as the deck.
Cloud Nine will be managed by Wolfgang Puck, with a menu described as "Texas-themed." Dishes include fried green tomatoes, a chicken adobo sandwich and the chocolate tower dessert, a recreation of Reunion Tower with a devil's food cake ball sitting on top of a milk chocolate tower filled with chocolate mousse, with meringue and raspberries at the base.
Cloud Nine is open to the public during the daytime only; at night it switches over to a private event space, available for weddings or parties.
The tower lounge on the entry level has also been redesigned, with new seating areas and walls that complement the decor seen on the GeO-Deck and Cloud Nine.
Tickets for the GeO-Deck range from $8 for kids 4-12 to $16 for adults. They can be purchased ahead of time via the Reunion Tower website or at the tower itself. The deck's opening will be celebrated with a free fireworks ceremony on Friday at 9 pm.
Even the elevator lounge at the base of the tower has been redesigned to give visitors a feel for what they will experience at the top.
Pizza at Centrale Italiia. Google/Siqi Wang