Willis Tower Skydeck
Place 3 of 4Illinois, USA

Willis Tower Skydeck

Willis Tower Skydeck emblem

The history

Completed in 1973 as the Sears Tower, it was the tallest building in the world for 25 years. The glass Ledge boxes hang 1,353 ft over the street.

In brief

The Willis Tower, formerly and still commonly referred to as the Sears Tower, is a 110-story, 1,451-foot (442.3 m) skyscraper in the Loop of Chicago, Illinois, United States. Designed by architect Bruce Graham and engineer Fazlur Rahman Khan of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM), it opened in 1973 as the world's tallest building, a title that it held for nearly 25 years. It is the third-tallest building in the Western Hemisphere, as well as the 26th-tallest in the world. Each year, more than 1.7 million people visit the Skydeck, the highest observation deck in the United States, making it one of Chicago's most popular tourist destinations. Due to its height and location, the tower is visible from a great distance. The building has appeared in numerous films and television shows set in Chicago.

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The archival photograph

6 102778 Sears Tower.jpg
1978 — 6 102778 Sears Tower · Wikimedia Commons

Shown on its own rather than side-by-side: the archival frame is not the same view as mine.

My photos

Willis Tower Skydeck 1Willis Tower Skydeck 2Willis Tower Skydeck 3
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Willis Tower Skydeck
Willis Tower Skydeck
Willis Tower Skydeck
Willis Tower Skydeck
Willis Tower Skydeck
Willis Tower Skydeck

Where it is