Paid $49 for the fast pass, but this only gets you to the front of the line to the elevators that takes you up to the observation deck. Even on the weekday it took 30 min to get crammed into the elevator. The real wait was at the lines for the ledges where you get to stand in a small glass covered patio type space. I waited about 1 hr to take photos there! And after all that wait, the employees only give you 2 minutes to look out and take photos!! But, they are nice enough to take photos for you on your camera. Worth it? Yes, as it was my first time in Chicago, and I too wanted to have a ledge photo. Go again? Nah. read more

Thank you to fellow Yelpers and their advice of coming in early, I did not have a frustrating time here. We came on a Friday morning right when they opened and we the line was not too bad though we got caught in between a huge group of middle school students visiting from Kansas. When we got to the very top, the line to take photos wasn't bad at all. We purchased general admission. There is no way I want to pay $50 bucks for a fast pass. This isn't Disneyland. There were about 4 - 5 people ahead of us. We were able to enjoy the view without a huge crowd. In total we spent about an hour here. They let us take some personal photos first and then then took professional pictures for us to purchase if we want. I half regret purchasing a photo from them but I also wanted a photo where there was a whole city behind us. $30 for the first photo, thereafter is $10 each. read more

100% a tourist trap but still 100% a must visit. I would highly recommend purchasing the city pass if you plan to be in Chicago for a few days and visiting all the attractions. If not, purchase your tickets here ahead of time so that you can avoid the lines to buy the tickets. When you first enter you wait in a long line to take the elevator up to the 103rd floor. It must have been at least anywhere between 30 minutes to an hour--unfortunately I did not check the time on this. There was some interesting facts along the line to engage visitors so it wasn't too boring. Once at the top of the building, you get to see the view of Chicago which is gorgeous especially the skyline side. To get to the sky deck there is yet another line. Notice, there are two different lines that you can queue for. One side is the one you can easily see. If you go down toward the left side of that line there are two sections. One says exit on the left and the other says queue on the right. That line will probably be less packed because no one knows about it. t will probably cut your wait time down a little. Once on the sky deck, the workers there set a timer on their ipads for how long you can take pictures for. The rules are 60 seconds for parties of 4 or less and 90 seconds for parties 4 or more. I would recommend talking with your party to decide on photo ops and who will take photos first and what poses you want as to cut down on decision making time while on the deck. After you finish pictures make sure you leave time to enjoy the view! Last note, to go down the elevator you will need to line up one last time and you are done! read more

This is one of the things that pretty much everyone who comes to Chicago do! Take a picture on the Skydeck. I was recently in New York City and went up to the top of the Empire State Building and I have to say, that, sadly they view of the Chicago skyline is a lot better than New York City's. Or at least I liked it better, and I lived in NYC for 10 years! Now putting the view aside, and reviewing the actual place of business is a different story. We calculated out the time to where we would be able to see the sunset. We had the Chicago city pass so we were able to skip a long, long line. Once at the top we walked around and took some pictures. We noticed there were several lines. For the Skydeck. I would've gotten on on the first one but my friend so that the last two lines were shorter and moving faster. We got on one, and we had the bad luck that pretty much every person ahead of us were taking their sweet time taking pictures, and the person in charge of moving people along was not doing a very good job at it. We could've done the same thing but we didn't, we hurried along and hoped that the picture they took would be good. Because he was sunset, it was very orange but I bought it anyway. $30 though it's pretty steep. It was quite an enjoyable experience I would most definitely do it again and next time I know what to do, and I will be able to take better pictures! read more

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Finally made it it to Chicago and was able to make it to the Skydeck! The Stars were aligned and the weather worked out for us. Waited about an hour to get into the elevator ride and it only took a minute to reach the top. The Skydeck I'm itself is very interesting. There's tons of facts all over the place and lots of items available for sale. My only gripe is the lack of organization in terms of the lines to get on the Skydeck. There's several stations available but the lines to get very confusing especially without staff to direct people where to go. Overall, it was a great experience with awesome views of Chicago and the four states. Im thankful that Military is free as my dad was able to get in. I suggest parking a block away you'll save a few bucks for souvenirs. I actually parked all the way at Lakeshore which wasn't the best move but still worked out. Having been to the Top of the World at the Stratosphere, Mt. Tantalus and the Grand Canyon, this view is definitely unique and up there I terms of beauty. If in the area again, I'll visit for sure and maybe take more time to enjoy everything. The video orientation beforehand was very interesting and informative. I really enjoyed my visit and am glad I decided to visit. read more

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So much fun! Lines moved fairly quickly to get around in the building. The only down side was you only got 60 seconds to snap a great photo. I still managed to get one that I liked though! read more

Skydeck Chicago - View - Observatories Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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A must to do in Chicago! We went on a Sunday around 11:00 am. No line!? Well, that all changed once we got off the elevators. Then the real line begins. It will help if you buy your tickets ahead of time. Online then use your smartphone to scan. Kind of like a airline boarding pass. Or what we did was buy a combo pass at the Chicago Art Institute which saves you $2.00 but it's more about convenience. Great views from top! Stand in the long line again for the pop outs. This is where you get the terrifying pics! If you have the guts! I'm scared of heights but forced myself to do it. Glad I did. Bucket list item! read more

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Walking onto the Skydeck, at first is eerie. It was like walking into air knowing that 1,000+' below is earth. I literally hesitated while trying to act brave with my two boys!! Once on the platform, you're provided photo ops and about 90 seconds to take your own version of photos. Just do it. Per other reviews, the lines can be long, plan accordingly. read more

Skydeck Chicago - Observatories Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

If you are going to go to the sky deck, which I do recommend, get the city pass. This way, you get to have your fun and spend your time doing more touristy things to your heart's content rather than paying for travel and lodging just to stand on lines all day. The view and experience on the Skydeck are worth the cost of the pass. There will be lines if you do not arrive at the tower early enough. If you can get the courage to stand on the Skydeck, I recommend going to the farther corner, towards the exit. I went on all the lines at least once and the view from that corner is most worth it. The two corners have photographers that do keep the lines moving. Another perk is that if you can go to those corner lines then you and your friends get the entire space for your photo. Choose your poses ahead of time! You will have plenty of time to decide on poses while you wait on line. Do not stand in the skydeck and then decide! You will get yelled at! *Check the weather ahead of time and try to pick less cloudy days to go to the Skydeck and taller buildings! Chicago has a lot of nice buildings that are high up to enjoy the view. Don't waste your money going on days that are cloudy if you have the time to choose! read more

Let's start off by saying I am afraid of heights! The fact that there's clear glass sticking 4 feet out of the building over 1300 feet up, is my idea of a bad nightmare! The views from the top was unbelievable! We visited at the perfect time, clear skies!!!! The city of Chicago looks even more beautiful from that perspective!!! I wasn't brave enough to step on the ledge, but my wife and kids were! It's an experience I'm glad they got to do! My kids are more brave than I am! Haha! FYI... depending on the time of day, be prepared to wait a while to get your chance to step on the ledge! They are nice enough to give you enough time to get the pics you want to take! read more

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Amazing!! The view, the awe-defying Ledge! Love it, but you you've got to be ok with heights

So there are some positive things here and some negative things here. Let's do the Oreo method with, something positive, something negative and followed by something positive to end it off. Get a City Pass. You'll save not just time but money. The lines are crazy for stand by general admission. With the pass you have VIP access and we maybe waited fifteen minutes. There's also a coupon for discounts on buying pictures! Negatives are line waiting. Not much to do other than look at the view which is pretty but not super time consuming for the wait. There are more lines for photo ops in the sky boxes. The elevator wait sucks and they seriously pack you into it like sardines. The view!! That view is stunning. You'll take a billion pictures so bring a camera and charged phone. The souvenirs weren't to badly priced after our coupon. Overall: C+ Get a City Pass. Bring your camera. Be prepared to wait. Take a ton of photos and buy a souvenir! read more

Paid for the exhibit. Security informed us that our child was small enough that we could take our stroller thru the exhibit when we went thru security. At one point there are 2 doors and it informs you that if you wish to skip the immersive experience you can do so. Then the admittance lady tells us we need to get to the back of the line. We do so, get to the front of the line, and then they tell us they need to CHECK THE TAPE to make sure we waited in line. No apology after the entire ordeal. Amateur hour all around. Save yourself the time and DO NOT COME read more

The wait was too long. We arrived 15 minutes before and still had to wait an hour in line. They were good with social distancing and keeping things clean. I always thought that the skydeck was a clear elevator from looking at pictures. We were only allowed 60 seconds inside the deck. I felt like I wasted my time. read more

Pretty amazing experience if you have never been here before. It's not very often that you get to be looking down into clear glass so far up! Just make sure that you give yourself a LOT of time before you decide to come here because the wait is no joke. I had originally planned to "stop" by and check this place out but the general admission line was 4 hours followed by 2 hours for the express line. While this information is shown up front, you also have to consider the time that it takes to come back down! Not only that the lines to have photos taken in the clear glass section is messy and long as well. I believe I waited around an hour just to get some photos taken. All in all it was a 3 hour trip because I did have the express ticket thanks to the city pass that I purchased. If you have anxiety around crowds of people than this might not be for you. read more

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103 floors to the top and definitely an experience to try. This is my second time to the sky deck both times were awesome as well as different. The first time was in May (when the weather is alot warmer in Chicago) and it was very cool we got a bit more of information with this tour but it was very crowded and a bit more rushed through the deck itself. Second time around seems like they have a bit of construction going on in the willis tower I'm not to sure if thats why it was a little different not to much info this time around that I brought my parents but they still enjoyed themselves as well as the views are still beautiful. I did love the fact that this time around we werent rushed in the sky deck so we were able to take as many photos together and separate and get creative with poses . Its neat just to be able to see Chicago from this perspective and definitely will recommend to my friends that haven't been yet. They do have a gift shop at the top and bottom of the tour so you can take home some cool souvenirs as well as the picture they take of you ( but you do get to use your own phone also so no worries) . Thanks again!! read more

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I pre-ordered my tickets online for the same price of $19.50 for adults. You just need to print it out and bring it with you and skip the lines, but when we arrived there wasn't a line to buy tickets at all. If I had known, it would've been nice to get a physical Skydeck ticket as a memory token, oh wells. You enter through a set of elevators to security check. Then you take a picture in front of a green screen, which you will get as you exit if you wish to purchase. This brings you to the ticket booth, or go ahead and get your ticket scanned if you purchased beforehand through a little walkway of Chicago history. You enter a small theatre that further explains Chicago's history and how Sears Tower was built into today's Willis Tower where the Skydeck brings in millions of traffic. The final elevator leads you up 103 stories to the skydeck. There's a 360 view of Chicago atop, but only one side offers the ledge. There's four ledges to line up for with the one more for professional use only. The line took maybe 5-10 minutes on a Monday morning as everyone took their turns posing. It's an amazing view to be in an invisible box making you feel like you're standing in mid-air at such great heights. I was honestly pretty damn freightened to go on the ledge, but I didn't realize it until I looked down. It's scary, but worth it. If you're really afraid, keep looking straight ahead instead of below and you'll be fine. Be sure to check for the weather before deciding to come out here! read more

Skydeck Chicago - On the ledge. - Observatories Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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A DEFINITE MUST for first timers, or for possible IG adventurers! It was our first time in Chicago, and this was one of the TO DO's on our list of places to visit. We went end of September and it was the perfect weather! Not a cloud in the sky and the sun was still shining bright. The lines are HORRIBLE because this is a popular place, so buy your tickets online so you can stand straight in line without having to wait in the "purchase" tickets area. Once you get to the top of the elevator, there are 4 boxes total. The ones at each end has a worker taking pictures for people. I stood in the other lines (shorter) where you can either pick the left or right corner, or the middle. I chose the left corner, and you can take as many photos as you want, but be courteous of the people waiting behind you. When we finished, we saw that the line going DOWN the elevator was WAYYY longer, so we saw the other lines to the box were really short, so we stood on those lines and got plenty of other nice angles and the worker was able to take nice pictures as well. I mean you already paid the amount to go up there, you might as well get the most out of it right? It'd recommend not going at a busy time like right at lunch or right as the sun sets (unless you are willing to wait in line to get that sunset view). and PLEASE don't be like some people who decided to STOMP on the glass to see how sturdy the glass is, especially when other people are on it. SMH. other than that, DEFINITELY come here! read more

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Worth the visit for the aerial view. Tip: get the regular ticket and if the line isn't long, go on ahead. If the line is long, add the fast pass when you get there to bypass the crowds. If you buy it before you might waste $25! We came on a summer afternoon in July and the wait for regular line was 2.5 hours and upgraded to fast pass for $25 a person and were up to the viewing deck in 15 minutes. There is another line once up there if you want to step out to the Skydeck, the glass bump out for a view out, directly down and around the city. read more

Get in line before they open to avoid the crowds. It gives you more time to take pictures on the Sky Deck. The two left Sky Decks are for professional pictures and then you can get in line on the other two Sky Decks on the right for personal pictures. It's a touristy destination, but you are up 103 floors so you should see it if you're in Chicago. Great views! read more

Skydeck Chicago - Observatories Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I loveeeee the view during the day, it is incredible! I do however feel there needs to be a time limit on ALL the lanes, maybe not just 2 mins but about 5? There were some who took advantage of the opportunity of the views by taking too long for a photo shoot, so that was a bit frustrating. I came back at night because I wanted to see the city night lights, but it was way too foggy.. so I recommend checking the weather first (if you can). Great tourist spot, I would come back if I came back with someone that's never been to Chicago. read more

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When in Chicago, the Skydeck should be number 1 in everyone's list. My friends and I bought the Chicago Citypass which you definitely get the most bang for your buck. Fair warning: avoid going on weekends. The wait: We went around 10:00AM and there was already a wait to get through security. Luckily for the Citypass, we were able to speed through the line since Citypass holders have a separate fastpass line. It didn't take too long to get up - maybe 10-15 minutes. However, the wait to check out the skydeck was long (approx. 30-45 min). The view: Although our experience in the skydeck was short. You definitely get the best view of Chicago. Luckily, we had clear skies the day we went so we were able to see all of Chicago. I was kind of annoyed that the workers had to rush us because we were a bigger group (5 people). We should at least get the same amount of time to get our photos and enjoy the view, but I understand it was a busy day... By the time we got back down, the line was wrapped to the side of the building... Word of advice: Go early. read more

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Go early to avoid standing in the long lines. The whole experience is exhilarating. The ride in the elevator is a rush! (It sways from side to side the whole time and you're traveling pretty fast.) Once you're at the top, hold on and enjoy the ride! There are incredible views from every side of the building. There's a nice gift shop with fairly reasonable prices and a good selection. You can spend as much time at the top as you want. Definitely a great way to see a gorgeous city!!! read more

Skydeck Chicago - I don't know her, but she put on a fun show! - Observatories Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

We showed up this morning and were advised of "0% visibility," but this was the last attraction on our CityPass and we weren't going to have time to come back, so we decided to go ahead and go up. Blissfully, there were no lines. Got to the top just as the mists were clearing away. Not as great as what you would see on a clear day, but did I mention no lines?? Overall just a great experience. Couldn't be more thrilled that I did this. read more

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Just for the glass bottom. Bad stars for touristy What did I get The regular experience. WOW this place gets packed!!! I got there around 930 and was standing in the scorching hot sun for 30 mins before they let us downstairs. I am from Orlando and I am used to this line business. Got my regular tickets, go to the elevator now here they PACK YOU UP (like sardine... but I don't think sardines are packed like this...) Then as suspected more line! There are 4 glass bottom windows, 2 controlled and 2 free ones. The controlled ones there are professional cameras taking your pictures for you. The views aren't as great cause it is in the city.. Just building and more buildings. But I like it for the experience Environment This is in the heart of downtown in the Willis Tower. Be prepared to be packed into an elevator that goes up 103 floors. Niceness of the staff The ticketing counter, the door attendant and elevator attendant were okay. I stood in line for the professional cameras to take my photos and the girl was nice. Even though it was for the professional cameras she was nice to ask if I had a phone to take photos cause she knows no one really buys the camera photos. Dollar The trip up was $24. The professionally printed photos you can see once you exit the attraction downstairs. It was $20 for the first one and $10 for each additional one, which I skipped out on! Yes? Personally this is a one time thing. Seen it once fine. But I would return here with people that haven't been or what a special person. Just for the ledge glass bottom experience. #WendyWander #WendyandChiTown read more

We spontaneously decided to visit sky deck on a Saturday night (we were visiting Chicago only for the weekend). Had to refresh the ticket page a few times to book a slot that opened up closer to the evening! The price ($35) was good given that in addition to the amazing view you see on the top, there are also a ton of exhibition/photo opts of Chicago's history, sites, landmarks, etc that you will pass through in order to get to the elevator. The only thing I wish we knew was that there was a separate line to get to the Ledge (the glass boxes/balconies), which took another 1.5hr! Then you only get 60-90 seconds in the boxes (for a party of 1-2), so I was a little stressed and had to plan out what angles, positions we wanted when it was our turn :) when we were exiting, a couple told us that they had to skip this opportunity cuz they were catching a flight and did not budget in the extra time in line for the Ledge... :( read more

If your planing to visit the Skydeck then invest in the city pass because your get more bang for your buck! The lines are behind long and the city pass makes you skip most of it! You are only allowed 60 seconds if it's 2 people or 90 seconds if it's 4 people. You have to be quick and let me tell you when your nervous to step on the glass floor that minute goes by quick lol. I was dying to visit this and has to overcome my fear. It was well worth it! It's a long wait and short time in that ledge but you can't come to Chicago without doing this! read more

Skydeck Chicago - Observatories Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I'll give it four stars because it's a place that everyone should visit and take pictures at least once. However, for that very same reasons, I can't give it five stars because the line is ridiculously long. It took us two hours to get to the top. It was essentially a line for a line for a line. Basically, when you get inside the building you wait in a line to get into an elevator. Once you get out of the elevator, there's another line. Wait there until you get to the metal detectors. Once at the metal detectors you can purchase other tickets or if you already have your tickets you can go in. Once you get inside, there are more lines everywhere. The ledge is the main attraction and there are lines for that. Because it took forever to get to that point, it was already dark. Not necessarily bad, but I wanted to see it during the day and I personally think the city looks better during the day. The picture that we have are not bad but the background is black and orange. Anyways spend sometime up on that 103rd floor. Take it all in and enjoy because it took two hours for this moment. As you're leaving there is a gift shop and some restaurants and an ice cream shop. Worth checking out. read more

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The final top destination is fantastic. The views are nice & you're allowed ample time in the glass area for photos. However, I highly recommend a few things to prepare for the wait time. The wait time started at 3.5 hours then changed to 4 hours. Items to bring: beverages/alcohol, board/card game, phone chargers (several bc the wall outlets are scarce) and food (lunch/dinner). There is a cafeteria but it only offers fast food type of items (ie pizza, hot dogs, grilled cheese, chips). And it is about a $10 meal from the cafeteria. Also, I recommend getting there earlier in the morning. I arrived at 11am on a Sunday... read more

Skydeck Chicago - On the walk to Skydeck! - Observatories Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Do you like waiting in lines? Then this is the perfect place for you. Seriously, if you don't have the Citypass/Fastpass or if you didn't buy your tickets in advance, you will be waiting, and waiting and waiting. It's not worth the potentially 90 minute wait! Once you get up to the Skydeck, the views are pretty amazing. It's crazy how large the surrounding Chicago area is. Also, we saw some planes fly by for the show, which was thrilling and scary at the same time. The glass ledge thing is interesting but I noticed that the glass was quite dirty given that everyone and their mother lies down on it or puts their hands on the glass. I couldn't really see that well especially when looking down at my feet. There are some interesting photo opportunities here though. All in all, this is one of those things where you check off but then you don't go back for years. Try to buy your tickets ahead of time or do the fastpass/city pass if you can. read more

It helps buying your ticket online but either way...the line is hella long. I didn't expect to be waiting so long (2 hours) but they did keep you entertained with history and facts throughout the wait. When I got to the top, I was surprised with how it was just another set of lines to sit and look out of a box and take pictures...not sure if I was the biggest fan of that. The view is definitely nice, and it's not too expensive. However, if you skipped this it wouldn't be a big deal. You do get some nice photo ops tho. read more

Skydeck Chicago - Observatories Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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On a Saturday afternoon, we decided to head up to visit the sky deck. We were shocked at how empty it was! It was a HUGE treat not having to stand in any super long lines and getting to the top floor pretty quickly. We had to wait in a bit of a line once we got to the top, but we didn't mind it so much since we know this was a really touristy spot. All and all, it was a pleasant experience, despite the fact it is essentially $50 for a picture. I probably wouldn't do it again, but it's definitely worth doing at least once in Chicago! read more

Amazingly terrifying. I figured out real fast I'm not a heights guy. It defined the saying "nope". But my family got me out there for a few photos. Getting up there went smooth. Make sure to book an early slot and the fast track or whatever as it helped. I'm sure it gets busy but we had no issues. read more

go during the week. went during least busy time according to google. $75 for the fast pass. boy bye. arrived at 9pm. closes at 10pm-on saturdays. whopping two hour wait. no restrooms along the way. buy the city pass to skip ahead in line. wish i had known. i asked if we could skip the photo in front of the green screen on the way to the long line. i was told that it is part of the experience. correct answer is yes. you can skip this strategy to entice you to biy a $30 photo. aint nobody got time for that. go on a tuesday at 1pm if you can. otherwise, plenty of other great things to do in chicago. read more

One of the must visit places if you're ever in Chicago! Period! Awesome place to take some cool pictures, conquer your fear of height, pop the question (I witnessed 3 marriage proposals total lol), and enjoy the amazing view of Chicago. Be prepared for the long ass wait time of up to 3hrs (not always the case however), and some rude, discourteous people. If you can get past that, you'll enjoy Skydeck a lot more :) Skydeck is located inside of Willis building. It has its own entrance on Jackson Blvd. You start out with taking the elevator down (maybe up? I wasn't paying attention lol) to the actual entrance where you go thru security and purchase tickets. Here is where you'll know if the wait would be painful or not. It can go anywhere between no wait to 3-4 hrs wait. After security check, you stop real quick to get your picture taken (the picture is for purchase, not free). You are not obligated to have the picture taken. If you're not planning on paying more money for those pictures, just tell them you want to skip that step. You'll get in another line to actually purchase ticket this time. This can be 5mins-30mins. After you present your ticket to the attendant, you get to wait in line the 3rd time for a 10minutes or so movie about how downtown Chicago in general, and Willis building/skydeck originated. There's no way you can skip the movie so enjoy! Try to get a seat up front or more to the left to be one of the first people exiting the movie theater. That would save you some time after the movie ends. You finally get to take the elevator up to Skydeck. Again you wait in line. This one is not too bad. Between 5-20mins. It takes 60secs to get all the way to Skydeck. They have glasses all around to give you a 360 degrees view of Chicago. 4 glass ledges face the West side, perfect for some sunset pics. This is where it gets frustrating with people cutting in line all over the place to take pictures inside the ledges. There should be only one line for each ledge, but with the exception of the far left ledge, the other 3 usually have 2-3 lines each. The wait here can be anywhere between 15-30mins. Brace yourself! Don't think you're done with waiting in line yet after snapping some cool photos. Exiting skydeck is another wait to get into the elevator to go back down. Again, a lot of people don't have any sense of waiting in line once they're up here, so be prepared for more rude people trying to cut. The ledge all the way to the left (as you're facing them) is the only one with "photogenic" attendants, lighting for night time, and fancy canon camera mounted on top to take pics for you to purchase when you leave. I prefer this one because the line/lines are not as chaotic as the other 3 because the attendants are there, and the extra lights really help when you're there at night. You can definitely ask them to take pics for you with your phone. They'll be happy to. The entrance fee is $23 for age 12 and up, $15/youth 3-11yo, and under 3yo is free. Several ways to save money and time waiting in line: Purchase the $49 Fastpass in advance online that include admission, as well as VIP access the whole time (except the ledges) that would save you couple hours on a very busy day. I believe if you have the City Pass, it works the same way as the Fastpass. Purchase regular admission online to save you time standing in line purchasing tickets after you have gone thru security. Police officers, fire fighters, military personnel with valid ID get in for free. After security check, you can go straight to the attendant checking ticket and present your ID to them to get in. No need to purchase any ticket. There are 2 gift shops, a cafe/ice cream place that you have to go through before really exiting the building, so get ready to spend some more money lol. Besides the long wait (tho I only had to wait 30mins on Easter Sunday compares to 2hrs the day before), rude people, this place is worth it to visit. You get to learn a lot of interesting facts about Skydeck while waiting so it's really not that bad ;) read more

Skydeck Chicago - I attest: the ledges hold well! - Observatories Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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This is a MUST DO if you're visiting Chicago. Came on a Monday afternoon when there were clear skies and the line wasn't too bad. It was probably 30 minutes top to get a ticket. Admission is $23. Before you get in the elevator you can watch a video which shows the history of the Willis (formerly known as Sears) Tower. I actually highly recommend watching that video because I learned a lot. Once you go up the elevator (takes about a minute), you are greeted to an amazing view. Then expect to wait in line again to take a picture on the glass bottom box area. There are four "boxes" with separate lines so you can spread out. My advice is to find the one that has the best lighting. I'd also advise avoiding the line that has an employee there. She was restricting the time you could have to take your photos and then taking pics to sell to you. I'm really terrified of heights so I spent less than ten seconds on the glass before I had to run away. However, still loved the experience and would recommend trying it out at least once. read more

Skydeck Chicago - Observatories Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

$22 for a 30 min wait on a Saturday morning. LOVED reading about Chicago history and the beautiful sculptures comparing the height of the Willis Tower to other tall landmarks around the world. Definitely come here to check it off the touristy list! read more

Skydeck Chicago - Observatories Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

We only had a day to explore Chicago, and this was worth taking the time to visit. Get there early in the morning, otherwise there is a long wait. Granted we were there on a Sunday, I have no idea what it would be like on a weekday. It took an hour when we arrived. By the time we left the wait time was 4 hours. As far as waiting to get to the floor, there's a lot of media: displays, models, and of course an 8 minute video where you sit (a welcome reprieve!) helps to break up the monotony of standing in line. There is a fast pass and you can buy tickets at the counter. There is a metal detector checkpoint before entering. There was one miserable sack there, I don't know if he missed his calling at some point or he just contemplates suicide everyday, but he's rude and obviously hates everyone visiting the Willis Tower Skydeck. He completed my Chicago visit You go up the elevator, and you move so far so fast that you can feel the pressure change in your ear drums. When you finally arrive to the floor, there are beautiful views stretching for miles in every direction. Telescopes on the floor are only a quarter (if they work) and allows you to see such great detail. I was doing okay with the heights thus far. Then came the Skyledge. This is a glass box that juts out the side of the building, and you look down 103 stories. I couldn't look down. It was only after they took my picture that I stepped out, laid on my belly, and crawled to the edge to look down could I do it. I then began to have an irrational panic attack for a half hour because of my fear of heights LOL. One thing that cracked me up: souvenirs. No, not the souvenirs themselves. There's a small shop on top. So you figure 'well this is where you buy your souvenir.' Then you go down the elevator, you feel the pressure change. You step out and that's where you get your picture, in the gift shop at the ground floor. They have much,much more souvenirs; and you only bought the stupid souvenir on the Skydeck because you didn't want to leave empty-handed. But now there's something you want here. You get your picture, buy your trinket, and walk through a little cafe. Of course, you walk through another gift shop! Most bizarre thing I had ever seen. Didn't waste anytime there, just moved on. read more

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This has got to be our least-favorite tourist trap we've ever had and were completely miserable the entire time. Surprise! You'll have line after line. There's a line to go to the elevator to go downstairs. That leads to a long line for security, and with no air conditioning. At least there's some good info to look at about the construction. There's a line for a movie you didn't know you were being forced to watch, then you get trampled on the way out because no one is there to help guide one row at a time. Then there's the line to the elevator where tiny people will get stepped on. Then after 103 floors, there's a line for eight different viewing areas. Surprise! Each of these windows has three lines. Of course there's no option employees to keep people from constant cutting and bolting into another line. There is one person who does help with pictures, but that's an additional paid expense which we were unaware of. The views stink, honestly. The glass-bottom floors are nice in theory, but the don't face downtown; they look south. There's not even a decent bar at the top. Only go off-hours unless you want to get stepped on and shoved into by rude tourists. read more

Skydeck Chicago - Lines, lines, lines. - Observatories Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Pro-tip: visit the Skydeck right when they open (on a clear day, obviously). If you're looking for a more scenic experience, I think sunset would be perfect. "Fast Pass" tickets are really expensive. read more