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Willis Tower
Rating Details »
Category: Landmarks & Historical Buildings [Edit]
Neighborhood: The Loop233 S. Wacker Dr
(between Adams St & Post Pl)
Chicago, IL 60606
(312) 875-9696
- Nearest Transit:
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Quincy/Wells (Orange, Brown, Purple Express, Pink)
Clinton (Blue)
Jackson (Blue, Red)
148 reviews for Willis Tower
Just an update about the Hancock reference. The observatory at the Hancock is owned by the same people, so they have the same spiel there (and same annoyances, though without the history movie).
It's the Sears, er I mean Willis, Tower, though, so stay classy Chicago.
As the other reviewers have attested to, I can also say that the Ledge is awesome. Enjoy the views and the experience!
Don't forget your camera.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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8/5/2007
Pricey. Tourist trap (as you'd expect). We went on a clear day and enjoyed the view of the city… Read more »
Don't be like me and go on a Saturday afternoon. I tried to go on the weekdays, but I either got too busy or the weather was not the greatest. If it's raining in Chicago and you go up the tower, you would be staring at white and nothing.
Anyways, the line to go up to the observatory deck and new skydeck was all the way outside and once you get in the lobby, the wait is 2 hours. It's like waiting in a line for Disneyland ride. I had the Go Chicago card which saved me some time, but I still had wait a long time. Like the John Hancock Tower, you can get the FastPass ($30). You skip the movie of the history about the building and get straight in line to go up. I think it's worth checking it out if you have the time regardless you have FastPass.
The view was awesome especially facing north. I tried the new skydeck with the glass ledges and it makes you feel that you are floating. If you are afraid of heights, standing on the ledge may not be your thing. I saw a couple of people refusing to go on it despite loved ones assuring them that it's safe. I heard if it's really windy, they retract the glass ledges for safety reasons. On the way down, there's another line, but it's not as bad as going up. You may have to wait 20 minutes.
To be honest, I like the view from John Hancock than the Sears Tower (I refuse to acknowledge it's new name) because of the location of the building - near the lake and along the Mag Mile amongst the other tall buildings. If it's your first time in Chicago, check this place out, but avoid going on a Saturday. Go on the weekdays and in the morning or early afternoon.
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First time in Chicago...had to do it.
Saturday afternoon there was a line just to get in. Wait on a line to go buy tickets...wait to pass security...wait to get to the elevator room....wait to get ON the elevator...and one minute, 1500 feet later, you're there.
With a CityPass, which I had, you get to pass 3 of the 5 lines (the last 3)...probably saved us over an hour. Alternatively, you can buy a "fastpass" for $30.
The Ledge is awesome. I laid down and had a picture taken over me...straight down!
Oh, and then you have to wait on a line to go DOWN the elevator. It was about 15 minutes...CityPass couldn't help me there!
Moral of the story? Don't go on Saturday!
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With the new sky deck, it is definitely worth the $15 to check out the view and transparent glass ledges. We arrived on a weekday around 5:00 pm (summertime) and was pleased to see there were no lines. We even had an elevator to ourselves which was super nice. The elevator ride up though is a woozy; ears poppin' all the way and I have to admit it was a bit uncomfortable.
However, the views are amazing since you're so high up above the city, you forget about how uncomfortable you may be. Most of the people were at the sky ledges, so obviously it was very crowded. Luckily, we were surrounded by polite people who gave us the chance to take photos on the ledge without having strangers in our photos. You just have to do it quick though!
The first step onto the ledge is very, very, very frightening especially since I'm afraid of heights. I noticed though as long as you don't look down, you'll be okay and you'll get used to the feeling of being "suspended" midair.
If you don't want to wait, go to the third ledge which is where the employees take a photo of you on with the camera placed on a tripod aimed at a specific angle to show you're actually on the ledge. (I mean I saw people who were on the ledge but not taking their photos at an angle, so in their photos it looked like they were just leaning on a glass wall or something - which is NOT a big enough deal to photograph). If you there are no people, the employees will let you take your own photos on the ledge after they take your photo first (it's not obligatory to purchase the one they took for you); which is super nice of them!
We ended up liking the photo they took of us so much, we bought an 8x10" for around $30 (I don't remember the exact price). This is a first for our family since we never buy those kind of photos anywhere (Disneyland rides, Universal Studio rides, etc.).
It was well worth the experience.
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We just had to visit the "Whatchu talkin' bout Willis formerly known as Sears" Tower. We were tourists in Chicago, after all. The $15 per person admission can be tough to digest, but luckily we discovered that the concierge desk at our hotel, the Hyatt, offered discounted tickets at $11 each. Not bad, we saved a few bucks that could easily go towards food. So check your local hotel concierge for discounts.
Not only did we get discounts, but they were VIP front-of-the-line tickets. Since we went on a weekday, there wasn't much of a crowd anyway, but we still got to skip the bigger lines. We got shuffled into a dark room, where we watched a brief history video on the tower. Afterwards, it's a straight shot up the elevator to floor 100-something.
Once you're up top, it's the creme de la creme of city views, in my humble opinion. Sure, I've been to the likes of the Empire State building and Seattle Tower, but the Chicago skyline just seems to pop out more dramatically. It could be the architecture, Lake Michigan, or just the proximity of all the buildings, but I enjoyed every minute.
Of course, the Skydeck is where mostly everyone spends their time. At the time of our visit, one is reserved for their "professional" photo setup, two are open, and another is under construction. If you have somebody to help, you can probably sneak in a photo with your own camera at the open Skydeck. You won't have to squeeze through everyone else for an unobstructed shot like with the other Skydecks.
Once you're inside the glass enclosure, you almost feel like violently jumping up and down to test the sturdiness of it all. There's nothing terribly special about looking straight through and around the Skydeck. The best view is below your feet, looking straight down through the glass floors. You can't help but realize, wow that is one loooooong drop. At any rate, a good tourist attraction and worth a visit.
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You must, MUST check out the Willis Tower sky deck. Aside from the obvious amazing views and your standard Chicago historical lesson, the reason to go here are the glass ledges.
The small glass cubes jut out about 3 feet from the building, providing the opportunity not only to have a panoramic view of the city, but also to look down 104 stories to the ground and river below. It's thrilling to take that first step out, and definitely it's a must-see.
$15 gets you to the top, $20 with an audio tour. You can pay more for a fast pass which gets you to the front of the line, but I'd recommend going during the week instead. The ledges will be much less crowded (we were actually able to sit on the floor for photo ops on a Thursday), and you won't have to wait in line just to get to the top.
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**My review of Willis Tower is based on the Skydeck tour.**
Late weekend afternoons are probably the worst time to visit Willis Tower for the Skydeck tour. Of course this is when I made my visit. The wait was long, but the tour is structured in a way that spaces out visitors so that the viewing deck isn't incredibly crowded at any given time. These spacing strategies include interactive displays, group picture taking and an informational movie. Normally I'd think that these things would be set in place to prolong the wait for the 'money shot' but you've got keep in mind that you are paying fifteen dollars for the experience and these Skydeck ppl are giving you more for the admission price.
If you want the fullest experience for the price, look through a visitors kiosk at a local hotel or at Macy's on State Street. The kiosks or visitor's center at Macy's has a coupon for a free 'Skylights' audio tour with Skydeck tour purchase (get one for each in your party). Basically it's a cell phone looking thing that plays commentary about what you're looking at when you walk around the observation deck. So, instead of getting tired of being all 'ooh look at the tall buildings', you can learn more about the history and architecture of Chicago.
The Sky Ledges are pretty solid and if you don't have a fear of heights, you've got to try it.
Besides this, the con's for me are unavoidable: again, long waits and the body odor that will be evident on your very cozy elevator rides up and down. All in all, a great experience.
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Sears tower no more........ Its Willis Tower now.....
I liked the Sears tower name better.
The view of the building and from it ?
Pricelesssssssssssssssssss
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Oh no, I thought this was awful! Granted, I did not want to come here and do the whole Skydeck thing (the bf's parent's were visiting), it was labor day weekend, and ... I did not want to come here.
Upon enterance, we were warned of an hour and a half wait. Oh no. So we waited. And waited. The good news (?) is, they were very accurate in their timing predictions. After maze after maze after maze, we made it up. We spent about 15 minutes wandering around and going on The Ledge, then waited in a 30 minute line to get in an elevator back down. The view was nice, but was it worth it? No. Nope. Not at all.
It's been a really long day...
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If you're a tourist in Chicago and it's a weekday, I would definitely suggest checking out the SEARS Tower. If there's a long wait, it's probably not worth it, but the price of $15 isn't bad for the view you get and the chance to sit on the Skydeck. If you live in the city and have never been (and I know a lot of people like this), definitely check it out at some point when there aren't a lot of tourists around.
I went to the Sears Tower on a Friday in September a little after noontime, and there was literally no wait to buy tickets and no wait for the elevator. Neither of us had ever been to the top, and it was much more than we expected. We, of course, took pictures of each other on the Skydeck, which are great to have. I don't consider myself afraid of heights, but even I was a little weary to crawl out onto the Skydeck!
Avoid buying snacks or souvenirs at the top as they are overpriced and probably can be found for much less in cheapo souvenir shops. Ditch the expensive souvenir photos, too, and bring a camera to take some of your own.
In every big city, there's that one tall building you need to go if you are visiting. Sears Tower now renamed as Willis Tower (A British company bought the building and the rights to change the name.) is that building in Chicago. If you are into architecture or simply want to be high and above everyone else, stand in line and buy your ticket for $15 adult. Staff take a picture of you or your group in front of a green screen, be creative and be scared/shocked/afraid, that makes for a fun picture!
I had gone for a Chicago River boat tour in the day before going up to the Willis Tower Sky Deck, so the buildings weren't just random buildings to me. However, there are signage for those who have no clue. My favorite view was of North Beach and Lake Michigan. The winds were strong and we were fogged several times and those made for cool photographs.
"Dare to stand out" on the ledges, a somewhat recent addition to the tower! Sit on the glass or stand a corner for "in-the-air" pictures. It gets crowded with everyone wanting to take a killer shot, be patient.
It's one of those "Do I really want to go??? Hmm...I am visiting Chicago after all, I really should see what this Willis Tower is all about" places.
Tip-bits:
Security checkpoint prior to ticket queue
Go to the ledge when you come first come out of the elevator
Make sure you go on a clear day or before the fog hits
Obviously not for those afraid of heights
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I guess I'm one of the lucky ones who visited when there was no wait at all... other than waiting for the next video to start...
Came on a Thursday morning to avoid weekend tourists. $15/person gets you upstairs. We waited for a couple minutes for the informational video you're supposed to watch before going up. We opted to skip the video (the worker there wasn't too happy that we wanted to skip it) and didn't regret it one bit b/c it meant we got upstairs before the other people waiting for the video.
Got up to the 103rd floor... it's nicely set up... with informational posters and things telling you what you'll be seeing in the distance. It's a good history lesson.
The real reason to go up there are the plexi-glass ledges. There were no professional pictures going on like what other reviewers said (may b/c I was there mid-week). We were able to take our own pictures.
I probably spent 15-20 minutes up there... It was on my must-do-in-chicago list... so glad I got it off the list and probably don't need to do it again. =)... but definitely a good one-time thing (as are many touristy attractions
Cliche tour of the what used to be the tallest building in the world, but there is now much controversy over which yardstick to use - include the antenna and this is the one. Regardless, the Sears Tower (now the Willis Tower) is a "must do" on your visit to Chicago. After a wait in line to pay your (adult fare) $15, you're treated to a pretty good history lesson of the building and the city of Chicago, which boasts, among other things, both Harrison Ford and Oprah Winfrey -plus the Blues Brother movie of course. There's even an interesting 8 minute history film that's required watching while you wait for the elevator. From the time I entered the building to the time I got into the elevator, it was at least a half hour. The elevator ride - packed in like sardines - was a surprisingly brief 60 seconds.
At the top, the view of course depends on the weather. Today, I was treated to clear skies from three sides and a bit of cloudy on the Lake side that blocked out a few of the skyscrapers on that side.
Don't miss the "step out ledge" which for some is a piece of cake and for others is impossible. I was able to step out and get some pictures after about five minutes of warming up to it and not looking down.
Was it worth $15 plus another $20 in souvenirs and postcards? Yes. Would I do it again? I'd have to say no. It's a "once" in a lifetime visit.
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There are plenty of reviews here, so I'll keep it simple -- go here to experience the Ledge. It's a lot of fun to step out on a glass floor and look straight down 103 floors. But if you want to go to a tall building the Hancock is at least as good -- and free if you stop in at the bar on the 95th floor for a drink.
TIP: They've got one of the 3 ledge windows set up where they take your picture and you pay to get it when you get downstairs. They won't let you go there to take your own photos. But you don't HAVE to buy the photo they take, so tell them to go ahead and take your photo and THEN take you own photos. When the other two windows are packed with international tourists taking pictures of themselves lying down, this is a great alternative! Just throw the ticket they give you for your photo away if you don't want the photo when you get downstairs...
I got to visit the Sears Tower like 2 days before it changed to "Willis Tower".
If you have the citypass, you can bypass the lines... although they don't let you unless you ask, which I thought was a bit retarded.
With the addition of the glass boxes on the west side, I was really impressed with the "tallest building in North America". I got adrenaline rushes the two short times I went to stand in those glass boxes, knowing that only those 3 inches of glass were keeping me 103 stories away from the ground. Some people were literally shaking because they were so scared to stand on it!
The elevator ride up was quick and entertaining as well, they give you a short video about the height and so it doesn't seem like a very long ride at all.
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Not gonna lie, it took me two searches to find this posting to write my review, but the SEARS TOWER really has been renamed as the WILLIS TOWER. Lame, I know, right?? No one knows it as the Willis Tower. I mean come on. I went to the top of this thing and still forgot it had been renamed!!!
Anyway, the Skydeck is the reason you go here, and I know, I know it is a touristy thing to do, but my brother and I were tourists afterall, and it was our first time to Chicago, so we had to do it. Luckily we bought our tickets online and got this through our hop on hop off tour so they were discounted! So definitely do that rather than waiting in line to buy tickets there if you can.
Now they have these awesome looking glass boxes that you can actually step out into, and we missed these by about 4 days!! So we were pretty sad about that. But the elevator ride, your ears will pop, and then you are at the top of the building with a view of all of Chicago! It is glass windows on all sides which make for great photo ops if you can weasel your way between people for a photo that is. This place can get packed!! And kids run everywhere, and other than looking at the view, there really isn't much else to do at the top. But like I said, it is kind of like the tourist initiation thing to do!!!
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Whoosh! The elevators whisk you to the 103rd floor at a rate of 1600 feet a minute or 18.2 miles an hour. Your ears pop, and then pop again. And then the doors whisk open and you find yourself at the top of the world or at least at the top of the Willis Tower -able to see 50 miles in each direction and at least 4 states on a clear day.
While everyone is in a hurry to get to the top- there is some great information about Chicago on the lower levels that you wend your way through on the way to the elevators. Since you don't exit back through this area- if you want to learn some fascinating things about Chicago- this is the time to do it. There is also a short movie that does a great job of explaining the history of the tower and the men who built it.
Once on the sky deck- you can wander to each side- to each direction. There are drawings outlining what you are seeing -a couple of them need to be updated with some of the new architecture in town- I spent some time pointing out some buildings to a group of tourists (Trump Tower is the most missed).
On the west side is the much talked about Ledge. New glass enclosed boxes that make you feel like you have taken a step off of the building at 103 stories. I must say- that first step is a doozy! These were designed by the same design firm that built the building so I could only hope they knew what they were doing!
Contrary to the urban myth out there- there is not an additional charge to go on the Ledge. It is included in the overall admission price.
In one of the spaces- they have set up a camera at the perfect angle to get a picture of you standing on glass all that way up. While the cost of the pic is $22 it is a worthwhile souvenir.
Here's a hint. If you can- go to the Willis Tower Sky deck and new Ledge after 5. The views are the same and there is literally no wait at all. Other times you should plan to wait at least an hour unless you purchase the Fast pass that moves you to the front of the line but for twice the cost.
Prices have increase one dollar since my last visit and are now $14.95 for adults. Entrance is on the Jackson side of the building.
If you live in Chicago or have out of town guests visiting- this is a must see. The view of Chicago and it's skyline is amazing. And if for nothing else- it makes me proud to hear all the tourists up there "oohing and ahhing" about how great Chicago is. And with that I am always in perfect agreement!
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If you want a view from the top floor of a very high tower, go to the Hancock Tower instead. The Willis Tower might be higher but honestly, you're not going to see that much more. The reason for the one star rating is because it will take you about an hour or more to even get through all of the line-ups to get to the top! This was at the beginning of August, in the middle of heavy tourist season.
First, you line up to get into the elevator to go to the floor where you line up again to go through security. If you need to buy a ticket, that's another line. If you have a GO card, you get to skip that line. I had GO card and thought, gee, I'm quite fortunate. Unfortunately, that was not the end of the line-ups. After getting my ticket with the GO card, we had to line up to see a movie about the history of the Sears tower. With screaming kids in the theatre, I was easily distracted and could not tell you anything about the history of the Sears tower except that it was once owned by Sears. Great.
Ok, so after that, we had to line up again to get into the elevators to get to the top, finally. Yeah, it was a great view and all that but the Hancock tower provided us with a free self-guided audio tour. Nothing like that here. Then, of course, we had to wait in line to take the elevator back down! Oh my god. The funniest thing someone said in the elevator was, "I'm going to be so pissed off if we get herded through a gift shop at the bottom!". Well, yeah, you had to walk through a gift shop to get out of there.
This place is over-rated. Go to the Hancock tower for the good view, free self-guided audio tour, and no line ups.
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First of all they were really awesome to give FREE tickets to members of the military, I was in town for a conference and didn't even no about this deal until I was standing in line and showed my ID when I paid for my ticket. The day that I went there was a line of about 1 hour and a half, with a flight to catch I opted for the express ticket which basically is a ticket for $30 but you skip all of the lines except the 5 minutes for the final elevator up. You can watch the movie or anything else along the way or you can just go straight to the elevator. The day that I went they were pretty good about letting everyone know that if they had a citypass they can skip the ticket buying line and just wait in one of the other ones.
They do a great job of getting people to the top but they do a pretty horrible job once you get to it. The newest attraction is the "sky deck" where you can step out onto sections of plexiglass that is clear at the bottom so you are on top of the streets of Chicago. This is a pretty neat thing but there is just a mountain of humanity and no control of the crowd so you have a large group of people that occupy one of the two "sky decks" for long periods of time.
I don't like that you don't really get to see out of the sears tower and it's more or less the same view. Otherwise its a fantastic attraction. On a clear day you can see almost all of Chicago that pertains to your interest anyway. The wait is of course, as always, very long and the elevator ride is just as cheesy but the view from the top is nonetheless breathtaking.
I would recommend to come here on a sunny day that isn't too windy, because when you're up that high, you *can* feel the wind and for those who are a little on the scared side might find it to be a terrifying experience.
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The tallest building in the United States!
Loved it therefore u must go!!!!
take lots of pics.
Lucky to have been in CHI when the new "ledge" opened up. This was our first attraction to visit while in the city. It was a stop on the "hop on, hop off" bus tour. Stood in a line starting out on the street around 11am on a Tuesday (7/7). Didn't get up to the Skydeck until about 1230ish. I think we stayed up there for about 30 minutes. Great views of the city. It was a clear and sunny day. There were lots of people trying to decide whether or not to step out onto the ledge. I stepped right on, even though I felt my legs shaking. It's an experience!
The only bad thing, is the wait and actual time of going to the Skydeck takes a big chunk out of the day, so plan ahead.
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The view could have been better at night, it was a bit hazy still. For $15 to go up and stand on the Skydeck, it's a bit pricey, but nothing out of the ordinary considering all the other major buildings charge about the same amount. However, at the Hancock building you get for $18 a view and a buffet to eat.
Very cool experience. The wait is pretty long but not so bad. It wasnt as exciting as I thought though on the skydeck. The view is nice and the "Ledge" is pretty cool but not that terrifying. It gets pretty crowded even on the ledge because of all the people wanting to take pictures and there was only 2 ledges available.
I hate that the Sears Tower has changed name and will soon look completely different. From a tour, the tower will be a silver color and no longer black. Willis Tower is going to be completely different.
Before I visited Chicago, I made a list of attractions I had to check out. The Willis Tower wasn't the top priority, but I enjoyed it so much after standing over the ledge that it became hard to top. I know, I know, what could be so great about looking down at Chicago's skyline? But that's it! You're seeing the whole city from a bird eye's view! Not to many cities offer this.
My family was a little indecisive on whether we should go during the day or at night. We thought the day would be better because we would be able to see four different states. Luckily we went during the evening. We were one of the last group to go up the tower. I highly suggest coming after 9 pm. There was a five minute wait for tickets and another five minute wait for the elevator. The only downside to this, is the shortness of time you get to spend up there. I swear the employees kept screaming, yes I said screaming, how much time we had left. It wasn't too crowed so, I was able to look through ever ledge and see a different part of the city.
The whole experience was thrilling! With the thought of the glass breaking and seeing cars as small as Hot Wheels driving under you, you get a slight adrenaline rush. I really liked seeing the rows and rows of lights and even the White Sock's game from the highest building in the western hemisphere. What made the experience even better was the ride to the top. They have a video they show right when the doors close till the doors open again. They inform you when you're higher than certain buildings or monuments from around the world. It's just an amazing experience!
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103rd floor SkyDeck was closed. What a bummer.
It was a long wait and a lot of hype to get up to the 99th floor which wasn't really anything special once you were up there. The view was amazing though, and it was worth it for that alone.
I think I went on the same day as Garrett P. as the weather was PERFECT.
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Whatcha talkin 'bout, Willis? Oh, that would be THE NAME CHANGE. Alrighty then.
This was my first time in the tower, and while I've had plenty of family and friends tell me how cool the view is, THEY never got to experience the glass balconies like I did. Shit is scary, and I'm not so sure I'd want to sit out there again (imagine looking down 103 stories from a clear floor, while rain is beating down just above your head), but at least I can say I did it. Got some good pics out there, too.
A lot of people didn't really like this, but there was a movie shown before we were allowed up the elevators, about the history of the building. I am a history geek so I am into this kind of stuff. I wasn't prepared for the name change though. And they have a site where any photographer can upload their photos, which will be digitally shown on a panel near the theater doors. Pretty cool stuff.
The views are amazing, and even though it wasn't a clear day, you could still see for miles around. I went up on the 4th of July so I was lucky to see fireworks displays from that distance.
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I was here for the Go Vertical Sear Tower Climb for the Past two years and loved it - its the reason i love to visit Chicago initially.
103 Story climb up the step to raise money for Cancer Research - 2 thumbs UP
New Owners of the building canceling a great fundraiser after 7 years - 2 thumbs down -
After seven terrific years, we are greatly disappointed to announce that as a result of a decision made by Sears Tower building management, Go Vertical Chicago will not take place in 2009.
We are so grateful to all of you for participating in our climbs and raising money for cancer research. You have been fantastic to work with - it's been fun and rewarding, every step of the way. Most importantly, in our seven years, you helped us raise more than $1.5 million - every penny of which supported the work of top scientists across the country.
THANK YOU for your energy, enthusiasm and fantastic fundraising efforts!
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I am saddened to see the name on Yelp changed to Willis.
Anyways, the new "Ledge" is terrifying to step on to at first but you really feel as if you're stuck in air.
I'm one to freak over heights, especially elevators but the ride was quick and the view was spectacular.
Great looking building, almost appears as if it is a couple of buildlings put together. The view at the top is amazing and provides a great view of the city. The only thing I did not enjoy was having to watch a video before going up.
-One of the great marvels of engineering on this side of the world.
-Some of the dirtiest windows you can find, although the view from this building is great.
I came here as something to check of my tourist list of visiting chicago. As a practicing structural engineer I am fascinated by things like this and wasn't disappointed. The tour starts off with a decent amount of waiting but they do a pretty good job of trying to have various things to entertain you. One of my joys was riding up on the elevator that was quite fast. When you reach the top its a pretty great view. My only problem is that when I went the windows were quite dirty. I didnt expect them to be spotless but many of them had a tremendous amount of brown grime that came out in a lot of my photos I took. The view is pretty nice but I sure wished they cleaned it a little better.
All in all its definitely worth a trip if you haven't been here before.
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The Skydeck was closed last time I was in Chicago. It was closed a couple years before that, too. Pity, really, because I just have to review based on the lower floor that they stick everyone on. Waited for 45 minutes in a line, not because there was a large crowd, but because there was only one elevator operating to take people up. At least there was a short video on the creation of the tower, so it wasn't a horrible wait.
The weather was gorgeous the day we went, and the view was spectacular. They position a few maps around the windows to give you help in identifying local landmarks, and had a few viewing telescopes that you can pay for. The line to get back downstairs was worse than the line to get up, wrapping around to the convenience store they tried to stick up on the top. After an hour and a half of standing around in line (this time with no movies to keep us occupied), we finally piled into a freight elevator and got back downstairs.
Sure, this is an experience and something anyone visiting Chicago should do, but for what was provided the cost was steep. If I made the trip to Chicago again, with people who haven't been to the Skydeck, I'm sure I'd suck it up and go again - and maybe, just maybe, this time the proper floor will actually be open and I'll finally experience it the way it was meant.
For being such a famous landmark, the Sears Tower was a bit underwhelming.
Upon entering through the lobby, you have to make various stops at the security checkpoint, the green screen for a photo op, the ticket office, the History channel viewing room and then finally, you get to the elevators. Had this been a busier day, I can see this taking MUCH longer than the 10 minutes it took us.
Since the Skydeck was closed for remodeling, we were "only" allowed up to the 99th floor instead of the 103rd floor which it didn't make a difference since we were going to be so high up already. Ticket prices were $15 for regular admission or $30 for the fast pass which gets you to the front of the lines. If you have a City Pass ($69), I'd suggest using it here since you can go to the Hancock Tower free via the Signature Room.
The view was great! I like that each direction (N, S, E, W) had an information board pointing out the notable sites (although, it was a bit outdated). What I didn't like however were the rail partitions. I'm sure they're for safety purposes but there's a 2-3 foot gap between you and the window. It would've been nice to be closer to the window to get that "whoa" feeling of being 99 floors up. Another thing I didn't like was how noticeably dirty the windows were. The water spots showed up in my pictures!
While the Sears Tower is a definite must see when visiting Chicago, just be aware that it's a bit outdated compared to the Hancock Tower.
A staple tourist stop: 3rd highest building in the world yada yada. I suppose it's something you gotta do when your in Chicago.
Cost to worth it ratio: 2.5 ($13)
Highlights:
- US status on the world: other tall buildings are in Asian countries and we still have the tallest antennas.
- Little history channel movie: entertainment while in line, gives you some background
- Elevator ride: smoother than I expected--you can barely tell you're moving so fast.
- Views: the obvious 360 view out several large windows. I like the markings of which direction you're facing along with the pictures with numbers guiding your eye to where certain landmarks are located.
Lowlights:
- All lines put together (one to go down to buy tickets, one to go up on elevator, one to go back down elevator), over an hour of waiting. This was a Friday afternoon so I don't think it was a crowded time either.
- Touristy cheesiness factor: they take your pic in front of a green screen before you ascend, and try to sell you expensive photos with the skyline from above behind you.
- Under construction: top 103rd floor deck was closed and I believe we got kind of the behind the scenes route to the top.
Fun to be up tall and see the view, but I prefer being on the ground and co-mingling amongst the highrises.
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HUZZAH!!!! They've finally named it after Wesley Willis...
It's actually not about the skydeck for me. It's the way this structure pierces through the sky that makes me proud to live in Chicago. It represents hard ass business, politics, hoods, workers, drinkers, house, etc.... My professional critique of the aesthetics pertaining to the Sears Tower: It looks like a huge menacing robot with huge horns and is a creation developed from superior, yet ancient, technology...(kind of like the monolith from 2001 space odyssey) that came to earth with his little brother John Hancock to conquer all other cities when the time is right, but in the meantime it is standing there providing over watch to ensure that brigands do not penetrate the first lines of defense provided by the Southside, Northside, Westside, Lakeside... p'chaw...ah, good luck.
Anyway, hard lines to represent a hard ass city.
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I had been to the Sears Tower about 3 years ago and had forgotten how the experience was until I relived it today. The website says its better to go during non-peak hours which is supposedly anytime after 5pm. If after 5pm is non-peak, I dont want to know how long the wait during peak hours is! We went at around 5:20 pm and didnt leave the building until about 7:25pm!!! (and we were only on the skydeck for about 10 minutes!!!) It took about 45 minutes to buy the tickets (which cost $14.95, $30 for express tickets) and the rest of the time was lining up for watching a 7 minute clip about the history of the Sears tower and lining up for the elevator up (which takes about 60 seconds). Maybe the wait was so long because The Ledge had opened today? Was 2 hours worth the wait for The Ledge experience? Sadly, yes. It was fun!
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Have you ever done a tour of the Space Needle in Seattle? Well, don't expect the Sears Tower tour to be as exciting or interesting.
My low opinion of this Chicago landmark is probably due to the fact that the top floor wasn't available during the day we visited. We had to check out the 93rd floor (or 94th??) instead. The floor basically had large maps of what you were staring at on each side of the building and a pathetic excuse for a gift shop. There wasn't a lot of decor, no place to sit, and if there were snacks available... they weren't memorable or good enough for me to recall what they were.
I did enjoy the introductory movie, though. 2 stars for that.
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Not as grandiose as the Empire State Building, and not as nouveau splashy as Taipei 101. However, the Sears Tower tour has one of the most informative pre-speed elevator presentations I've ever seen.
Impressive views of Chicago and its outlying suburbs that extend outwards to infinity on a clear day.
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We went first thing on Sunday morning and yes, we waited in a few small lines. But you know what? It was worth it. The view is outstanding and lots of places to take picture. But what separates this out from other skyscraper visits is the new "Ledge", which let's you walk "outside" the building in glass-enclosed cases. It's sounds frightening but really isn't. We could take lots of pictures there and spend time looking down and around. For that alone, it was worth the wait and price of admission. Very unique. Just don't go midday -- the lines are very long.
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