Sears Tower Opening Glass-Bottom Sky Deck In June

The view from atop the nation's tallest building is about to get even better.

In June the Sears Tower will open a glass-bottom sky deck as part of a multimillion dollar renovation of the building, the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

The new attraction, called The Ledge, will feature four feet of glass only an inch-and-a-half thick jutting out from the observation deck. Visitors will be able to see straight down to the city streets 103 stories below.

Each viewing enclosure can support about five tons, a tower executive told the Sun-Times, which is three more than the city requires.

The iconic building will officially become the Willis Tower later this summer.

Comments

[wilray]

07:39 AM on 05/04/2009

I've done the glass floor thing before at CN Tower in Toronto. It's freaky, scary. Then I went up higher in the structure to the sky pod - I think of it as the crow's nest. It;s the second highest observation deck in the world. Until, 2007 CN tower was the tallest freestanding structure in the world, when it was surpassed by the Burg Dubai which is still under construction.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glass_floor

I've actually been more frightened at structures much shorter than the CN Tower. The Euromast tower in Rotterdam is scarier because it's sort of like an amusement ride. You have to walk outside the observation deck to climb the stairs that leads to "ride" part. Going outside and climbing the stairs is the scary part. The second deck spins around the mast to the top and then comes back down.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/01/Rotterdam_euromast.jpg
Probably, the scariest thing I've done is to climb the church tower at Vors Frelsers Kirke in Copenhagen. After being winded from climbing inside the bell tower (sometimes near vertical), you climb the outside stairs that wind around the tower. I stopped shy of the top. I was too scared.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/73/Vor_Frelsers_Kirke_Copenhagen_2.jpg

[rbarry647]

07:37 PM on 05/02/2009

Oh Hell to the No

[Totto]

03:03 PM on 05/02/2009

Mies would not be amused. What next, plaster cupids?

[Totto]

02:00 PM on 05/02/2009

Several years ago, we were having dinner at the top of the Hancock Building and the Brits at the next table were very unhappy: The restaurant doesn't revolve!

[Totto]

01:43 PM on 05/02/2009

Over 300 pounds? Jump up and down and see what happens!

[VOTER]

09:12 AM on 05/02/2009

The Ledges are retractable and only 1 1/2 inches thick.
NO WAY!

My sister's office was on one of the top floors of the Sears Tower
and while the views were spectacular, the building's swaying
was unnerving for me. She was fine with it.

Years ago before flight regulations were changed, the Blue Angels, during practice
runs for the Air Show, would fly by her office windows.
This did unnerve her.
She could see the pilots faces. UGH!

[bigbluenat4]

02:41 AM on 05/02/2009

No way No hOW!! WOW! I remember going up there and just being freaked out! Amazing view...but way to afraid of heights! Yet i like Sky Diving...Go figure.

[BushBites]

05:55 PM on 05/01/2009

Funny they have the people looking out the west side of the building.

[VOTER]

08:55 AM on 05/02/2009

There will be ledges facing Lake Michigan too.

[Myshkin57]

05:32 PM on 05/03/2009

They need to see the gun violence in the distance.

[edheller]

04:14 PM on 05/01/2009

Oh.... so now it's called the "Sears" Tower again? Fickle media!

[petphotos]

05:01 PM on 05/01/2009

Forever and always the SEARS TOWER. Willis can go climb a rope.

[stav506]

12:14 PM on 05/01/2009

SWEET! Can't wait. I love things like this. I walked the Sydney Harbor Bridge and that was awesome! Climbing the girders w/ special harnesses and all.

PS: If you ever make it to Sydney take the Bridge walk (if you're not afraid of heights)! The views of the entire harbor are great, esp, the Opera House. Oh, and the aquarium is great too, esp the shark exhibit.

[JScott]

12:07 PM on 05/01/2009

I've been to the Sky Bridge in the Grand Canyon. If it's anything like that you will have to either take your shoes off or put those surgical booties over them, And they may prevent you from taking pics while on it because they don't want hard photo equip falling on it plus they will probably have a concession that will have the monopoly on pic. taking (for a fee of course). And with Chicago weather being what it is, you can guess a lotta upkeep will be needed to keep the glass clean and scratch minimized.

[Dr Manhattan]

11:41 AM on 05/01/2009

No thank you. I break into a cold sweat just looking at that picture.

[zigzag1]

02:46 AM on 05/02/2009

makes my testicles recede

[walk0nwalls]

11:12 AM on 05/01/2009

Ho-ly vertigo

[TheDirtyDuck]

04:13 PM on 05/01/2009

Ditto, Ditto..........

[petphotos]

05:00 PM on 05/01/2009

Really! :)