The Willis Tower, or what you may know as the Sears Tower, is Chicago’s tallest building and therefore a Chicago icon! Our Chicago popcorn company features the famous building on our own popcorn gift tins, and most Chicagoans know the Willis as an integral part of the city skyline. You might recognize the building from a movie– the main characters visit the Skydeck in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off– or a TV show– Monk, Late Night with Conan O’Brien and other TV shows have featured the tower. You should get to know it up close and personal when you’re in Chicago.
Fun Willis Facts
Here are a few quick facts about the biggest building in Chicago.
- The building designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill and was completed in 1973.
- It stands 1,450 feet and 110 stories high, or 1,730 feet its including antenna towers.
- It has 3.8 million square feet of office and retail space.
- It’s the tallest building in the Western hemisphere.
- It was the tallest building in the world from 1974 to 1998.
- With its antenna, it’s now the third tallest building in the world.
- It has the highest observatory in Chicago at 1,353 feet.
- You can see 40 to 50 miles on a clear day from the Skydeck.
- You can see four states from the Willis observatory.
From the Sears Tower to Willis Tower
Even though Chicagoans got a kick out of the suggestion that we should now refer to the building as “The Big Willie,” it was difficult for many to accept the change in name. From the building’s beginnings, Sears and Roebuck was the main occupant. The building was planned in order to consolidate all of their Chicago employees, who had been spread across various offices throughout the city, into one Loop location.
In 2003, Sears was no longer the primary occupant of the building and lost their naming rights, but the building was still called the Sears Tower until 2009. Then, the London-based insurance company Willis Group Holdings leased enough of the building to claim the name. Chicagoans just had to get used to the change!
The Skydeck
While the building is mostly commercial offices and retail space, the Skydeck is what makes the Willis Tower the most visited attraction in Chicago. It has interactive displays, high-powered telescopes and “knee-high” activities for young children who come to visit.
But probably the most popular part of the Skydeck is “the Ledge”, or glass boxes that jut out from the side of the building and allow you to look straight down at the city of Chicago.
The Willis Tower is a great learning experience and a beautiful way to see the city– our company would recommend it to anyone who hasn’t been able to go before!
Tags: chicago attractions, chicago icons, popcorn gift tins, sears tower, willis tower, willis tower skydeck