SAINT PAUL, Minn. — The Space Tower at the Minnesota State Fair is back open this year.
Ride managers Ben and Michelle Kantor say the ride broke down just four days into the fair last year due to electrical issues.
"It's a relief to see it up and running,” Ben Kantor said. “It took us several weeks just to diagnose what went wrong and a lot of work to get it working again.”
Kantor said the ride is 60 years old and many of the parts are difficult to find. He said the family had to order custom parts from Switzerland to get the ride back up and running.
“We spent a lot of money on shipping,” Kantor laughs.
The family is now focused on the fair and serving their customers.
After the fair is over Kantor said the family has plans to redo some of the outdated electrical work on the ride.
Kantor’s wife Michelle is also focused on juggling her duties at the fair and her day job.
“I’m a kindergarten teacher in Robbinsdale and I start school on Monday,” Michelle laughs. “It’s a busy time of year for all of us. I’ll spend my weekdays at school and my weekends here at the fair. It will be busy, but worth it.”
The Space Tower is located near the Agriculture Horticulture Building at the fair.
Tickets to ride the Space Tower cost $5.00