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Willis Tower SkyDeck

233 South Wacker Drive, Chicago, Illinois

Description

The Willis Tower (formerly and still informally known as the Sears Tower) was for 25 years the tallest building in the world. It is 442m high with 108 storeys and surpassed the NYC World Trade Center when it was completed in 1974. It was designed by architect and structural engineer Fazlur Rahman Khan. The observation deck, called the Skydeck, is on the 103d floor, 412m above street level. From there visitors can see not only the entire city but also Lake Michigan and, on a clear day, the neighbouring states of Indiana, Michigan, and Wisconsin. Since 2009, it has been upgraded to include retractable glass balconies extending 1.2m from the façade overlooking South Wacker Dr. Those have glass flooring and named 'The Ledge'.

Access & Transport

The tower is in the CBD, next to Quincy metro station (Brown, Orange, Pink, Purple lines) and Chicago Union Station (the main train station in the city) is just across the river, less than 5mins walk away. There are also several bus stops along the surrounding streets.

Instructions & Recommendations

Please reserve your tickets in advance to guarantee access to the Skydeck. It is recommended to arrive 15mins prior to your scheduled reservation time. Ledge visit times for parties of 3 or less is limited to 60 seconds, and for parties of 4 or more it is max 90 seconds per party.

Meta review

This is one of the star attractions of the city and most visitors enjoy both the views from the top (although the weather isn't always perfect for that) and the exhibits about Chicago history on the way to the lifts (while queuing to go up). However, there is a fair percentage of online reviewers who thought that the time on The Ledge was too rushed, the staff too aggressive, and the optional photos extortionately expensive.

Environmental & Social

On the 103rd storey of a steel, glass and concrete tower. Not an eco-friendly activity although the skyscraper was not intended as a tourist attraction.

Conclusion

The views from the observation deck are certainly impressive but we do not think they are necessarily the best in the city or worth the entrance fee. We would thus recommend this activity only to those who have never experienced going high up in a skyscraper of for whom the entrance fee is a non-issue.

Key positive

Iconic skyscrapper

Comprehensive panoramic views

Centrally located

Key negative

There can be some wait

Expensive

Suitability

Accessible to visitors with reduced mobility

About this Rating

TYPE

Desktop

RESEARCHED IN

Updated in October 2023

PROVIDER

Koreval

Included Items
None
Timing
Duration of visit
Last entry is 30-minutes prior to closing

av. transport time:0h 15m

est. visit time:0h 40m

Regulated hours

Start of Season 1:Mar, 01

Season 1

MONDAY09:00 - 22:00

TUESDAY09:00 - 22:00

WEDNESDAY09:00 - 22:00

THURSDAY09:00 - 22:00

FRIDAY09:00 - 22:00

SATURDAY08:30 - 22:00

SUNDAY08:30 - 22:00

Start of Season 2:Oct, 01

Season 2

MONDAY09:00 - 20:00

TUESDAY09:00 - 20:00

WEDNESDAY09:00 - 20:00

THURSDAY09:00 - 20:00

FRIDAY09:00 - 20:00

SATURDAY09:00 - 22:00

SUNDAY09:00 - 22:00

Pricing
Age band
Age band
Regular price / pers.
Senior
65 - 99
US$36
Adult
12 - 64
US$36
Child
3 - 11
US$27
Infant
0 - 2
US$0
Includes general admission and access to The Ledge.

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