Hotels near Skydeck at Willis Tower

Skydeck occupies the 103rd floor of the Willis Tower, 1,353 feet up, and was the tallest building in the world for 25 years after it opened as the Sears Tower in 1973. The Ledge is the reason people come: glass boxes cantilevered four feet out from the facade with glass floors, so you stand over a quarter-mile drop looking straight down at the Loop. On a clear day the view reaches four states.

That clear-day condition is why October suits it. Summer haze over the lake routinely cuts visibility, while crisp autumn air after a front passes through gives the longest sightlines of the year. Tickets are timed and the upper-floor queue can still run long at weekends. 360 Chicago on the John Hancock Center is the alternative, further north with a better view back at the skyline itself.

Pro Tip: Check the forecast and book the day before rather than weeks ahead. Visibility is the entire product here, and a timed ticket bought in advance for a day that turns out grey is money spent on looking at cloud from an expensive height.