Willis Tower Building

Address: 233 S Wacker Drive, Chicago, IL 60606, United States

Website: https://theskydeck.com

Hours: Skydeck Chicago Daily 9am-10pm (hours vary seasonally)

Admission: Skydeck tickets: Adult $35-$40 (varies), children discounted; combined experiences may cost more

Willis Tower is a skyscraper in downtown Chicago, Illinois, originally completed as the Sears Tower in 1973 and for many years the tallest building in the world. The structure has 110 floors and remains one of the city’s signature high-rise landmarks.

The building’s public attraction is the Skydeck on the 103rd floor, which offers wide views across Chicago and, on clear days, across Lake Michigan; glass boxes known as the ‘Ledge’ extend from the façade and allow visitors to stand over the city from a transparent floor. The tower continues to serve as an office building with retail and observation components.

Designed by the architectural firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill and finished in 1973, the tower symbolized mid-20th-century corporate-scale construction and remains an important node in Chicago’s skyline and business district.

Located in the West Loop/Central Business District of Chicago near the Chicago River, the tower is readily accessible by public transit and is a short walk from other downtown attractions.

• Height and floors: Completed in 1973 as the Sears Tower, the building has 110 stories with a roof height of about 442 meters and an antenna reaching roughly 527 meters.
• Observation experience: The public observation deck is on the 103rd floor and includes glass boxes installed to project visitors approximately 4.3 meters beyond the building face.

What to See#

• Skydeck & The Ledge: Skydeck observation on the 103rd floor offering panoramic city views and the glass ‘Ledge’ projecting visitors over the city.

Willis Tower is at 233 S Wacker Drive, a two-block walk from the LaSalle/Van Buren and Quincy/Wells stations. CTA rail lines (Brown, Green, Orange, Pink, and Blue via transfers) and many bus routes serve downtown; most ride-share services drop at the plaza. From Union Station, it is a 15-20 minute walk or a short taxi/ride-share.

• Buy Skydeck tickets online for a timed entry to avoid long lines, and aim for sunset for the clearest light.
• Use the West Loop (Wacker Drive) entrances for quicker access to the observatory elevators; elevator queues move fast during morning hours.
• Skip the glass boxes on crowded days if fainting-room panic is a concern - they rotate through rapidly and are sometimes less photogenic than the fixed viewing terraces.