I still had a good six hours before I needed to be in the airport so I decided to visit 360 Chicago. Aside from Ferris Wheels, I love visiting observation decks, and try to include it in my trip. I wasn’t expecting there’d be a time slot available, but they had at 12:30 so I went ahead and booked it including a Tilt experience.
My uber dropped me off at the wrong side of the building so I had some trouble finding the entrance, but once I was in, and since I already paid for my ticket, I got to skip the long queue and head up.
The Chicago cityscape is so beautiful! There’s truly nothing like it. They’re known for the Chicago School style of architecture after all.
The building gives you a 360 view of Chicago, so you can see the city in all sides, in all its glory.
After a few minutes of going around, I decided to finally line up for the Tilt experience. One area of the building facing skyscrapers tilt downwards, giving you a more thrilling view of the city. We can only have professional pictures taken and I didn’t get to ask anybody queueing if they can take a video of me. It was not a scary experience, but very exhilarating. The ticket comes with a free alcoholic drink you can get before getting in if you have some nerves.
I spent almost an hour, just admiring the cityscape. They also displayed some stuff owned by John Hancock, as the building used to be his namesake. They had a museum shop both on the observation deck and by the entrance. I bought some caps, stickers, and witty Chicago t-shirt to commemorate my trip.
I’d agree that you can skip 360 Chicago or the Willis Tower (Skydeck) if you’re not a fan of seeing cityscapes or if you’re not staying in Chicago for long. I chose 360 because it was less crowded and had the Tilt experience, but the Willis Tower is the more famous one. I didn’t get a chance to go to the Skydeck, but both buildings are in different parts of the city offering you different kinds of views. Queuing can take time but as long as you purchase your tickets online, you’d get in faster!
360 Chicago
875 N Michigan Avenue, 94th Floor
Open daily from 9:00 AM to 11:00 PM
Admission for adults is $30, excluding TILT
TILT + Sip (Free Drink) + 360 Chicago Admission — $49
Hedda Damasco 