![]() ![]() The flooring on that same box shattered on June 12, 2019. On May 29, 2014, the laminated glass flooring of one of the boxes shattered while visitors were inside but there were no injuries. The boxes, which can accommodate 5 short tons (4.5 metric tons), opened to the public on July 2, 2009. The all-glass boxes, informally dubbed “The Ledge”, allow visitors to see the street below. In January 2009, a major renovation of the Skydeck was begun, including the installation of retractable glass balconies which extend approximately 4 feet (1.2 m) from the facade of the 103rd floor, overlooking South Wacker Drive. The tourist entrance can be found on the south side of the building along Jackson Boulevard. A second observation deck on the 99th floor serves as a backup. Some 1.7 million tourists visit annually. The Skydeck competes with the John Hancock Center’s observation floor a mile and a half away but reaching 323 feet (98.5 m) lower. Elevators reach the top in about 60 seconds, allowing occupants to feel the change in pressure as they ascend. Tourists can experience how the building sways in wind and see far over the plains of Illinois and across Lake Michigan to Indiana, Michigan, and Wisconsin in clear conditions. Located on the 103rd floor at an elevation of 1,353 feet (412.4 m), it is the highest observation deck in the United States and one of Chicago’s most famous tourist attractions. The Willis Tower observation deck, called the Skydeck, opened on June 22, 1974. Skydeck Panoramic view of Chicago from the Skydeck at Willis Tower Image Credit :wikipedia Morgan Stanley plans to move to the building in 2019 and become its fourth-largest tenant by 2020. Other major tenants include the building’s namesake Willis Group and law firms Schiff Hardin and Seyfarth Shaw. The structure was renamed in 2009 by the Willis Group as a term of its lease.Īs of April 2018, the building’s largest tenant is United Airlines, which moved its corporate headquarters from 77 West Wacker Drive (then the United Building) in 2012, occupying around 20 floors. Each year, more than one million people visit its observation deck, the highest in the United States, making it one of Chicago’s most popular tourist destinations. It is currently the second-tallest building in the United States and the Western hemisphere – and the 16th-tallest in the world. Willis Tower is considered a seminal achievement for architect Fazlur Rahman Khan. At completion in 1973, it surpassed the World Trade Center in New York to become the tallest building in the world, a title it held for nearly 25 years it was the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere for 41 years, until the new One World Trade Center surpassed it in 2014. The Willis Tower (colloquial: Sears Tower, its name for 36 years) is a 110-story, 1,450-foot (442.1 m) skyscraper in Chicago, Illinois. ![]() Highly recommend.Īs a side, we also bought the 3-day CTA ticket for $15 at the airport and traveled everywhere by public transportation during this trip and were able to cover all the 5 attractions plus other parts of the city with the CTA ticket.233 S Wacker Dr, Chicago, IL 60606 Image Credit : wikipedia I think the City Pass was a good value compared to buying those tickets separately. We did have to book our desired time of visit for the Aquarium the day before though. On the 2nd day, we did the Aquarium and Planetarium, and then spent all day at the Field Museum on the 3rd day. But we got lucky as we did not realize that the City Pass includes the 'expedited entry' to the Skydeck, so we were able to get our last minute tickets fairly quickly instead of waiting in line. That same evening, we wandered our way to the Skydeck building without a prior reservation (I promise it was unintentional - just a last minute girls weekend trip). The Willis Tower’s Skydeck Chicago on the 103 rd floor is easily Chicago’s most popular tourist attraction, drawing more than 1.3 million visitors per year to its 360-degree views out over the city. We were there for 3 days, and bought the 5 attractions pass at one of the outdoor kiosk when we arrived at the Navy Pier on the first day to do the River Cruise. The Chicago City Pass was totally worth it for us. ![]()
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