New observation deck for the Sears Tower (Chicago, Marshall: rooftop, safe)

[Narcissus23]

Don't look down: Terrifying view from glass box balcony jutting out from skyscraper's 103rd floor | Mail Online

[robertjohnson]

What if you dropped something hard on the 'floor'?

[myrc60]

looking at the picture isn't so bad but I can't imagine I'd have the courage to step onto it.

[linicx]

Originally Posted by Narcissus23

Don't look down: Terrifying view from glass box balcony jutting out from skyscraper's 103rd floor | Mail Online

I think it is very cool. I wonder what happens when the jumbo jets fly by?

You'd have to drop an I-beam on that thing before much happened. I would bet the engineers though of all the tricks before it was built.

[myrc60]

Originally Posted by linicx

I think it is very cool. I wonder what happens when the jumbo jets fly by?

You'd have to drop an I-beam on that thing before much happened. I would bet the engineers though of all the tricks before it was built.

I'm sure they did but it still looks scary.

[Avengerfire]

Is this like the 12th thread on this matter?

[casden]

Amazing! Is there a charge to stand in the "glass box"?

My sister and her husband are visiting in a couple of months and it would be cool to take them to see this when we're in the Loop.

[Venom]

Why's everyone so worried?
If it wasn't safe they wouldn't build it.

[i blame history]

Originally Posted by Avengerfire

Is this like the 12th thread on this matter?

That's an understatement.

While my soul was crushed by the tourists (do they really need to hold up a line by stopping to gaze at a ceiling? oooo, but it's a ceiling in Chicago!), we decided to take our one trip up there and check it out. It's neat; not very terrifying. I was disappointed with the fact that I wasn't as uneasy about it as I would have liked to be (I like to be scared!) but it's pretty cool nonetheless. My husband was rather disturbed by the swaying of the building and he was pretty pleased when I finally decided to leave the box and get back on opaque ground. ha.

My only actual complaint is the families of 5-6 who sit down together and have someone take FIVE different pictures of them, all on the same camera. Those boxes are rather tiny, and I already had to get halfway violent to keep my husband and I together, since everyone decided that two people who look like us clearly can't be toegther, so hey let's just cut right between these two, so having my legs rubbed against by a sprawled out teenager didn't sit too well with me.

I wouldn't wait for it again, but for the one time, it was neat. Lucking we were able to skip the "mandatory" part where get your picture in front of the green screen and they try to sell it to you for $15 or whatever. Guy was like "but it's fun!" and I'm like "Seriously? Who are you trying to kid?"

[trailerguy]

They are very thick tempered glass. They can survive pretty much any violence likely to be inflicted by even the most obnoxious tourist. Simply being designed to survive the wind and weather makes them tougher than any human.

There is no extra charge for the box, it is included in the somewhat steep charge to access the Skydeck.

The swaying in the wind is normal, the building was designed for it. I have a friend who used to work on one of the higher floors who said it could be unsettling on very windy days. He said there were days when the water in the toilets would slosh out onto the floor; unpleasant for many reasons. On a very few extremely windy days, they will evacuate the top twenty-or-so floors, in consideration for the discomfort to the people inside, not any actual danger. On overcast days, the upper floors are in the clouds and the windows look like white sheets from the inside. The elevators are pressurized, like airplanes.

Due to the high rents and environmental issues there is a fairly high turnover on the top floors. Since 9/11, they have a had a hard time keeping the building rented out. The skunky economy has taken its toll too. Don't expect to see a new building this size being built in this country any time soon.