233 S. Wacker Drive
312-875-9696

It’s the most! The greatest! It’s tops! Okay, so it’s not the tallest building in the world any more. But let’s get real: are you going to Kuala Lumpur any time soon? Me neither! So let’s ride up to the top of the Sears Tower!

Other buildings can boast about being tall, but they’re just regular sized folks wearing tall hats, by Chicago standards. At 110 stories, (that’s 1,454 feet, for those of you without a cerebral calculator) the Sears Tower does still hold one significant record: it has the highest occupied floor. Certainly the most famous project of local architectural firm Skidmore, Owings and Merrill, the Sears Tower owes its height to the engineering genius of Fazlur Khan and the rigorous American Modernism of Bruce Graham, design partner for the project.

Nine 75’ by 75’ squares make up the base of the tower, in what Graham called “bundled tubes.” The solidity of the tower lies in its application of the principle that in unity lies strength. The bundled tubes, like slender sticks tied together in a bundle, are strong enough to withstand even serious winds at the top of the structure. But as any self-respecting Chicagoan will tell you, it sways. How much? A foot or a yard? The building management won’t say.

From the Skydeck, you can see a really, really long way. But pick your time carefully. A cloudy day is a big waste of time and money unless you enjoy an unobstructed view of fog, while a summer afternoon haze can seriously impede your view of the Kennedy Expressway, much less Downer’s Grove. On a clear day you can see...pretty much forever. And there is something fascinating about the urban grid that lies so smoothly across the prairie to the west. Even jaded Chicagoans may get caught up in the challenge of helping a visitor see where their house is, “...right there by the intersection where the diagonal street goes by that steeple! You see it?”

The elevator trip to the top will make yours ears pop, but it’s a welcome sensation if you've been standing in line for any length of time. There's also an 8-minute multimedia presentation that is required viewing before you hit the 'deck. Your ticket will set you back $8.50 these days, $6.50 if you are a senior, or $5.50 for children 5 - 12. Children 4 and under are free, and a family pass is $21.00

The Skydeck is open March through September from 9am to 11pm, and October to February from 9am to 10pm.

Tip: Enter at Jackson Boulevard for the Skydeck, but don’t miss the wonderful Calder kinetic sculpture, "The Universe," in the Wacker Drive lobby. If it's a really crummy day, check the Franklin Street lobby for a fine introductory display with important facts and photos.