Skydeck Chicago: Willis Tower's 103rd floor and The Ledge

Skydeck Chicago is the observation deck on the 103rd floor of Willis Tower — at 1,353 feet, the highest observation deck in the United States, and the one most first-time visitors mean when they say they want to go up a Chicago skyscraper. It's also home to The Ledge: four all-glass boxes that cantilever 4.3 feet outside the west face of the building, so you're standing on glass with the city more than a thousand feet straight below.

This page covers everything you need before you go up: ticket prices, opening hours, how bad the wait really gets, whether Expedited Entry is worth it, and exactly what The Ledge is like. If you're still deciding between this and 360 Chicago on the Magnificent Mile, there's a quick verdict near the bottom.

What is Skydeck Chicago?

Skydeck sits on the 103rd floor of Willis Tower — the building most Chicagoans still call the Sears Tower, after the retailer that commissioned it in 1969. The deck is 1,353 feet up, served by an elevator that climbs at 1,600 feet per minute and reaches the top in about 60 seconds. Roughly 1.7 million people visit each year.

On a clear day the view reaches about 50 miles and takes in four states: Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Wisconsin. Because Willis Tower was the tallest building in the world from 1973 until 1998 and still towers over the Loop, you look down on nearly every other building in the city rather than across at them.

The tower itself is worth understanding before you go up, because the structure is the reason the view exists. Engineer Fazlur Rahman Khan designed Willis Tower as a bundled tube — nine 75-by-75-foot steel tubes bundled together at the base, with individual tubes ending at the 50th, 66th, and 90th floors to create the building's stepped silhouette. The system was so efficient it used roughly half the steel per square foot of the Empire State Building.

Skydeck Chicago tickets and prices

General admission to Skydeck starts at $32 for adults and $24 for youth when booked directly, or around $40 on GetYourGuide, which adds free 24-hour cancellation and lets you skip the on-site ticket-purchase queue. Children under 3 are free. Expedited Entry starts at $55 and is the fastest way up on a busy day.

The Ledge is included in every Skydeck ticket — there's no separate charge for it, unlike TILT at 360 Chicago. If you're weighing a multi-attraction trip, our Chicago CityPASS guide breaks down whether the bundled Skydeck Expedited entry pays off.

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The Ledge: standing on glass 1,353 feet up

The Ledge is the reason Skydeck is on most first-time itineraries. It opened in 2009 and consists of four glass boxes that extend 4.3 feet beyond the west façade of Willis Tower. The floor, walls, and ceiling of each box are built from three layers of half-inch laminated glass with SentryGlas interlayers — 1.5 inches of structural glass in total, engineered to hold up to 10,000 pounds, about five tons.

Parties of up to five share a box for about 90 seconds so the line keeps moving, but you can rejoin the queue as many times as you like. The signature shot is taken looking straight down toward Wacker Drive; the Sky Stairs nearby are a strong secondary photo spot.

Skydeck hours and the best time to visit

Skydeck's hours change with the season:

• March–September: 9 a.m. – 10 p.m.
• October–February: 9 a.m. – 8 p.m.
• Last entry: 30 minutes before closing

The consensus best slot is the hour before sunset — arrive 30 to 45 minutes ahead and you get daylight, golden hour, sunset, and the city lights coming on in a single visit. Early morning right after opening is the best alternative if you want short lines and the clearest air. Press your lens flat against the glass to kill reflections; tripods aren't allowed without prior approval.

If you specifically want a deck that's open late into the evening in winter, note that Skydeck closes at 8 p.m. from October through February — 360 Chicago stays open until 11 p.m. year-round.

Wait times: is Skydeck Expedited Entry worth it?

This is the question that decides which ticket to buy. On summer weekend afternoons, general admission can mean 60–90 minutes for the elevators, plus another 30–60 minutes for The Ledge once you're up. Expedited Entry, from $55, typically brings the whole visit to under 20 minutes.

So the honest answer depends on when you're going:

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Getting there

Skydeck's entrance is at 233 S. Wacker Drive, on the Jackson side of Willis Tower, in the Loop. The closest L stop is Quincy (Brown, Pink, Orange, and Purple lines), a short walk away.

Both the deck and The Ledge are fully wheelchair accessible, and complimentary wheelchairs are available on a first-come, first-served basis. The interactive museum on the lower concourse is a good way to pass the time during the elevator wait, especially with kids.

Skydeck vs 360 Chicago: the quick verdict

Skydeck wins on height and The Ledge; 360 Chicago wins on price, late hours, and the photograph (it's the deck with Willis Tower in the frame). First-time visitors who want one definitive, tallest-in-the-country view usually pick Skydeck. If you have three or more days, do both — Skydeck in daylight, 360 Chicago at sunset.

For the full side-by-side on height, price, hours, and waits, see our Skydeck vs 360 Chicago comparison.

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