Willis Tower SkyDeck
1 / 5
Willis Tower SkyDeck - by Ganesh Kumar on Google
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.
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 for visitors with reduced mobility
About this Rating
TYPE
Desktop
RESEARCHED IN
August 2024
PROVIDER
Koreval
av. transport time:0h 15m
est. visit time:0h 40m
Start of Season 1:Mar, 01
MONDAY09:00 - 22:00
TUESDAY09:00 - 22:00
WEDNESDAY09:00 - 22:00
THURSDAY09:00 - 22:00
FRIDAY09:00 - 22:00
SATURDAY08:30 - 22:00
SUNDAY09:00 - 22:00
Start of Season 2:Oct, 01
MONDAY09:00 - 20:00
TUESDAY09:00 - 20:00
WEDNESDAY09:00 - 20:00
THURSDAY09:00 - 20:00
FRIDAY09:00 - 20:00
SATURDAY09:00 - 21:00
SUNDAY09:00 - 20:00