SKY DECK CHICAGO
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THE LEDGE
WILLIS TOWER & SKYDECK
Tallest Building in the Western Hemisphere until…
At 1,450 feet this 110 story skyscraper was completed in 1973 and surpassed the World Trade Center in New York to become the tallest building in the world for nearly 25 years. At which point it was the tallest building in the western hemisphere until the completion of the rebuilt World Trade Center site in 2014. Ultimately, it is still the 2nd tallest building in the United States.
SkyDeck Chicago
The observation deck at the Willis Tower is called the Skydeck and it opened shortly after the building on June 22, 1974 on the 103rd floor at an elevation of 1,353 feet.
It is the highest observation deck in the United States and one of Chicago’s most famous tourist attractions
THE LEDGE
In January 2009, during a major renovation of the Skydeck, retractable 4 foot glass balconies were installed.
THE LEDGE
That first step is always the hardest!
Even when so many people have done it before, I start to analyze the odds.
The odds?
It’s just glass, what’s the lifespan here, built in 1973 “the ledge” has been open since 1974 with some 1.3 million visits a year almost 55.9 million people have potentially sat here.
When the glass shattered!
The glass is rated to support 4.5 tons. I am no elephant, but that can’t last forever.
Actually, on May 29, 2014, the glass floor of one of the boxes actually shattered while visitors were inside but there were no injuries.
Ultimately…
Which one it was is unknown.
Be brave, beat the odds, don’t hold back and take life as it comes!
SKYDECK
THE VIEW
Walk around the skyjack and 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.
Check the visibility before you go!
