This past weekend was Lollapalooza madness, and it seems like anyone who was anyone was out and about in Chi-town, including us! Here’s a fun article from the Chicago Tribune about the seven types of people who went to the festival (a bit of a simplification, but you get the idea).
In our downtime we visited the Willis Tower Skydeck for the first time in a very long time, so here’s what you can expect if you’re up for that particular tourist attraction. First, on Saturday night the line was about 2 1/2 hours long. If you can, try Sunday morning instead. The Skydeck opens at 9 a.m. and it’s not quite as crowded then.
Once you go into the right entrance on Jackson Blvd. (the south side), you’ll enter an elevator for a super-short ride, then go through the security line. You’ll probably get bogged down here. After security, you can buy tickets and then get into the line for the elevator that goes up to the top; you can choose to watch a seven-minute movie along the way if you want to. The ride to the Skydeck is only about 90 seconds long, and will be packed with other people.
Once you’re up there you can see the Skydeck at your leisure. Most windows have viewing scopes that cost 50 cents, and you can view the entire cityscape (and four other states) from them. Near the end of your tour you’ll encounter the glass-bottom window boxes that jut out into thin air. If you’re willing to step on the glass, you’ll see Chicago landscape beneath your feet. It’s a great photo opp, so get your family to sit in the corner of the box and make sure the glass under their feet shows up in the picture. And of course there’s a place to buy souvenirs on the Skydeck, or you can wait until you’ve taken the elevator back downstairs. It lets you out right near a couple of different souvenir stores.
The Skydeck at Willis Tower (still known to many of us as the Sears Tower, but the sign says differently now…) is open from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day through September, and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. from October to March. Admission is $14.95 for adults, $10.5o for kids between 3-11. You can purchase a FastPass for $30 if you would like to work the express line, and you can also purchase a video tour. The view is worth it from the tallest building in the Western hemisphere, so go see it if you’ve got the time.
For additional information, check out www.theskydeck.com. -By Helen
