Willis Tower Skydeck (The Ledge)

Skydeck Chicago, Willis Tower

Stand in a glass box 103 floors up, 412 m of air under your feet

Hours

1 Oct-28 Feb: daily 9am-8pm, Saturdays 9am-9pm; last entry 30 minutes before close (official site)

Tickets

General admission about $32-34 per adult per resellers, varying by date and time; book timed tickets at theskydeck.com

Address

233 S Wacker Dr; the Skydeck entrance is on the Jackson Blvd side

The elevator shoots you up to the 103rd floor fast enough to pop your ears, and on the west wall four glass boxes jut out from the building. That's the Ledge. The floor is clear too, so everyone hesitates before the first step, and cars crawl like toys far below. On a clear day the claim that you can see other states across Lake Michigan isn't an exaggeration. On the way up you pass an interactive Chicago museum, and at dusk you get the sun dropping over the western plains while the city lights flick on.