Chicago traffic on I-90 can be very heavy and so getting there can take a lot more time than one might expect. Also, a GPS may be helpful as the roads can be fairly confusing.Ticket pricing is $19.50 for adults and $12.50 for ages 3-11 (open all days: April-September 9AM to 10PM, October-March 10AM to 8PM). Ages 2 and under are free. For $5.50 more, one could get an audio tour as well. Parking at Sears Tower (now Willis Tower) is expensive as the place is in the middle of the city - there are several options and pricing starts at around $15 and goes all the way up to $50 depending on time and location.The official tower parking entrance is at at Franklin Street - we were lucky to get a more economical option at the System Parking lot on 321 S.Wacker drive. Even though the outside sign said $18.95, the attendant charged only $10 till mid-night, may be because it was 4 PM on a weekday.
There is a line to purchase tickets, but it doesn’t take very long to get to the front. There is a 15-minute movie for which you may have to wait for up to 15 minutes. The movie explains the history of Sears Tower (now Willis Tower) and its place among the skyscrapers of the world. After the movie, you head to the line for the elevator that takes you to the top of the tower. There are two elevators and each can carry about 50 at a time. It takes about 2 minutes to reach the top. One could spend a good half hour at the top admiring the views, assuming it is a good day.
The kids loved the experience with Lake Michigan providing the perfect backdrop. The best part for them was identifying the different landmarks around the tower using the touch pad in front of some of the windows!
Last Updated: 01/2015.
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