Anyone who has seen a photo of the Chicago skyline can probably pick out the city’s most famous building – a 108-story asymmetrical black behemoth with two spiky antennas that are colorfully lit up at night. Add a blazing red eye between the antennas, and you’d have something right out of “Lord of the Rings.”
This, of course, is the Willis Tower – known as the Sears Tower until July 2009.
The Willis Tower’s “Skydeck Chicago” on the 103rd floor is easily Chicago’s most popular tourist attraction, drawing more than 1.3 million visitors per year to its 360-degree views out over the city.
But, while the Skydeck is wildly popular, it actually has some competition a mile and a half away at the 100-story building sitting at 875 North Michigan Avenue*. This building boasts an observatory similar to the Skydeck on its 94th floor, known as 360 Chicago, with views out over Lake Michigan and the city of Chicago.
*This building up until a couple years ago was known as the John Hancock Center, but currently is nameless. You’ll still likely see it referred to as the Hancock building, though.
So which tower is REALLY better? Which one is more worth your time (and money)?
I’m going to try to answer that question for you in this Chicago Tower Smackdown by comparing various features of each tower.
Going to be visiting Chicago soon? Be sure to pick up a Chicago CityPASS, which includes fast-track admission to both of the city’s famous towers, and can save you more than $100 on attraction entry throughout the city.
Willis Skydeck vs. 360 Chicago comparison
Information/pricing last updated May 2024.
Here we go! Everything you need to know to choose between visiting the Skydeck or 360 Chicago.
NOTE: Both towers are now requiring timed tickets in order to visit. Be sure to book your tickets in advance if you want to visit at a particular time!
Location
The Willis Tower is located on Wacker Avenue, with the Skydeck entrance on Jackson Boulevard. The tower is basically at the heart of downtown Chicago, with buildings and busy Chicago streets all around it.
The 360 Chicago is located on popular Michigan Avenue, right next to Lake Michigan. You have water on basically two sides, and Chicago on the others.
Smackdown Winner: Draw, because both are located in good areas, within walking distance of public transport.
Tally: Skydeck — 1 360 Chicago — 1
Prices
Visiting the Skydeck will cost you anywhere from $28-$36 for adult general admission ($22-$26 for kids), depending on what day/time you want to visit. For $50-$55, you can get Expedited Entry, which will help you skip some of the lines.
360 Chicago charges $35 for adult general admission ($25 for kids), but offers a $5 discount if you book online. There are also several different packages you can purchase, including their “Sip, TILT & View” package for $57.50 that includes skip-the-line admission, a drink from the Cloud Bar in a souvenir glass, and one ride on the TILT.
Smackdown Winner: 360 Chicago, but only just. If you book ahead and want to add on the extras, it ends up being a slightly better deal.
Tally: Skydeck — 1 360 Chicago — 2
Hours
This is a small thing, but still important.
The Skydeck is open 365 days a year. From March through September, the Skydeck is open from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. From October through February, it’s open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. (9 p.m. on Saturdays), with the last entry 30 minutes before closing.
360 Chicago is also open 365 days a year. Its hours are 9 a.m.-11 p.m. every day year-round, and last entry is one hour before closing.
Smackdown winner: 360 Chicago, because it’s open slightly more hours, no matter what time of year.
Tally: Skydeck — 1 360 Chicago — 3
Wait Times
Unless you go up either of these towers on an overcast day, chances are you will have to wait in line to buy tickets, and then wait to get into the elevators that will whisk you up to the observation decks. Both the Skydeck and 360 Chicago suggest visiting early in the morning, or in the evening (after 5 p.m.) for the shortest wait times.
Wait times are completely dependent on the weather, day of the week, and the season. But here’s an idea of what to expect:
The Skydeck, being the more popular of the two options, can have some really long lines and wait times. I visited on a sunny, Saturday afternoon in mid-March – right around Spring Break time for most high school and colleges – and again on a sunny Saturday afternoon in April a few years later. There was a line to simply board the elevator that takes you down to a security checkpoint and the ticketing counters, and then another wait to board the elevators up to the Skydeck. Total wait time from the front doors was quoted at about 2.5 hours for general admission.
Over at the 360 Chicago, an employee said that wait times can get up to 1 hour on busy summer days, but usually average between 10 and 30 minutes. I went up to 360 Chicago twice on the same March weekend that I visited the Skydeck – once on a slightly overcast afternoon, and again on a clear night – and did not even wait 5 minutes to go up either time. On my most recent visit (a Sunday morning in April), there once again was no line to take an elevator up.
Buying an express entry ticket ahead of time at either tower can help avoid some of these lines. In fact, I would say it’s a must at the Willis Tower on busy days!
(Buying a Chicago CityPASS includes Expedited Entry to the Skydeck, and skip-the-line entry to the 360 Chicago!)
Smakdown winner: 360 Chicago, because it will probably always have shorter wait times.
Tally: Skydeck — 1 360 Chicago — 4
The Ride Up
Once you finally make it to the elevators that will whisk you up to the Skydeck, it takes about 60 seconds to ascend 1,353 feet to the 103rd floor of the Willis Tower.
The large elevator will probably be packed, but you’ll be entertained for that minute by a flat-screen television throwing out some fun facts and explaining how high you are climbing, while comparing that height to other well-known structures around the world.
It was cool to see the Statue of Liberty and Eiffel Tower falling away as we quickly ascended, and the feature helped put into perspective just how tall the Willis Tower is.
The 360 Chicago elevators, while smaller, could also potentially be crowded on a busy day. The ride up to the Observatory takes 40 seconds to climb 1,000 feet, making these the fastest elevators in North America.
The ride up is accompanied by a witty narration, mostly explaining how fast you’re going (more than 20 mph).
Smackdown winner: Skydeck, because the feature comparing your height to other famous structures is pretty cool.
Tally: Skydeck — 2 360 Chicago — 4
Chicago Tower Views
This particular section is probably the one everyone is most interested in — which Chicago tower has the best views? Well, the answer is completely dependent on personal perspective and taste. But I’ll give you my take on it.
The Skydeck has great views on all 4 sides of the building. You can see out over downtown Chicago, look down onto the Chicago River, and see all the way to Navy Pier and Lake Michigan. The Willis Tower is the tallest building in the city, so nothing stands in the way of your view. On a clear day, you can literally see for miles.
The 360 Chicago also has great views on a clear day. It sits right on Lake Michigan, and you can see across the lake to other states on good days. You can also look right down on Navy Pier, and see out over downtown Chicago. You can’t see the river from here, but you CAN see the Willis Tower in the Chicago skyline, which is pretty cool.
I felt like 360 Chicago has a more “open” feeling to it, with larger glass panes on its windows and mirrors on the ceilings. You are also able to get closer to the windows at the 360 Chicago to take photos.
After dark, I also feel like 360 Chicago has the advantage. True, one side of the building will just be dark since there are no lights on Lake Michigan, but seeing the Chicago skyline (*including* the Willis Tower) lit up at night is pretty special.
Smackdown winner: I think I have to go with the 360 Chicago, because I liked being able to see the Willis Tower in the skyline, as well as the gorgeous color of Lake Michigan on a sunny day. But this one was really close.
Tally: Skydeck — 2 360 Chicago — 5
Both of the towers offer some “extras” at the top to try and entice more visitors.
The Skydeck boasts “The Ledge,” which are a set of glass boxes that extend roughly 4 feet out from the side of the Willis Tower that overlooks Wacker Avenue. The boxes – added in 2009 when the Skydeck underwent a renovation – have glass bottoms, so you can look down and see the street 1,353 feet below.
If you stand in one box and have a friend stand in the next box over, you can take some cool photos of each other.
The glass-bottom feature is the real draw here, because the boxes sit on the side of the building with the least impressive view (in my opinion).
Just be aware that there WILL be lines to get into these boxes, so be prepared to wait your turn. They also ask that groups only spend a minute or two inside in order for more people to move through.
The 360 Chicago used to have the “Skywalk,” which was an open-air walkway along the side of the John Hancock building that faced Willis Tower. When it was re-branded as 360 Chicago, though, they added TILT.
TILT is a row of 8 huge glass windows that tilt out 1000 feet over the Chicago streets below. The cool part is that you can hang onto handrails inside as the windows tilt out, giving you a real rush as you feel like you’re hanging out over the city.
This is a super unique new feature, even though it does cost an extra $9 to try. (And while it doesn’t look super dramatic in these photos, I can promise that it *feels* pretty dramatic as you’re doing it!)
The 360 Chicago also offers some special events like yoga classes on Sunday mornings, and sip-and-paint classes.
Smackdown winner: Draw, because both towers offer extras that are really cool.
Tally: Skydeck — 3 360 Chicago — 6
The Amenities
Both towers have basic amenities like restrooms, and both also have walls with fun facts about Chicago as a bit of extra entertainment.
The Skydeck has a little souvenir shop, multimedia exhibits about the tower, and a theater presentation called Reaching for the Sky, which focuses on Chicago’s unique architecture.
360 Chicago also has a souvenir shop, as well as a new bar (the CloudBar) with tables and chairs on the south side of the building. Both towers have full-service restaurants on separate floors, but the bar here is a nice touch. It suggests that you are welcome to just sit for a while and enjoy the views.
Smackdown winner: 360 Chicago, because I like the fact that you can grab a snack (or a drink!) and a seat. The Skydeck has no seating at all, which would be nice if you just stood in a line for 2.5 hours!
Tally: Skydeck — 3 360 Chicago — 7
Photo Ops
Both towers will offer to take professional photos of you in front of a green screen before you board the elevator. You can then purchase these photos later on, with a variety of Chicago backgrounds to choose from.
The Skydeck offers one of the green screen photos at the bottom of the tower. It also has a photographer at the top of the tower at The Ledge, who will take a photo of you (for purchase) standing in one of the glass boxes, with the city far below.
360 Chicago also has a professional photographer at the bottom of the tower. At the top, you can also get professional photos taken if you choose to do the TILT. And there’s a new 3D mural by artist Nate Baranowski called CloudWalk that makes for fun photos up here.
Smackdown winner: Draw, because both towers offer similar photo ops. (The prices are a little cheaper at 360 Chicago, though.)
Tally: Skydeck — 4 360 Chicago — 8
Getting there
Both towers are easily accessible using Chicago public transportation. There’s an “L” (elevated train) station just a block from the Willis Tower, and the Red Line metro will get you within walking distance of the Hancock building. CTA buses also make stops nearby both, or you can always catch an Uber or Lyft.
If you’re already downtown, it’s also pretty easy to walk to either building.
Smackdown winner: Draw, because both are relatively easy to get to.
Tally: Skydeck — 5 360 Chicago — 9
Final Results: 360 Chicago wins!
The Skydeck at the Willis Tower is iconic in Chicago, which means it’s also more expensive and will have longer lines.
So, if you want a great view but don’t want to wait for it, go to the 360 Chicago.
(Or, you can always do what I did, and visit both! That way you can make up your own mind.)
Chicago CityPASS
You can save on admission to BOTH of these towers with a Chicago CityPASS (as well as admission to the Shedd Aquarium, the Field Museum, The Adler Planetarium, and more).
RELATED: 3 Reasons Why Buying a CityPASS in Chicago is Worth It
Or check out these Chicago tours:
Disclaimer: I was given free, fast pass entry to both the Skydeck and (former) John Hancock Observatory on my first trip to Chicago, and received a complimentary CityPASS on my second trip to re-visit both towers. As always, though, all opinions are 100% my own.
READ NEXT: A Couples’ Weekend Getaway to Chicago
Have you visited either the Skydeck or the Hancock 360 in Chicago? Or both? If so, which one was YOUR favorite?
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Amanda Williams is the award-winning blogger behind A Dangerous Business Travel Blog. She has traveled to more than 60 countries on 6 continents from her home base in Ohio, specializing in experiential and thoughtful travel through the US, Europe, and rest of the world. Amanda only shares tips based on her personal experiences and places she’s actually traveled!
