I was provided with a private tour of the SkyDeck Chicago to facilitate my review. All thoughts are 100% honest and my own.

Oh the Skydeck Chicago.  What can you say about being on the 103rd story of an incredible building overlooking one of the most exciting cities in the world?

Amazing?

Breathtaking?

Magnificent?

Stupendous?

How about all of these?  And more?  Yes.  Definitely yes.The group of North Iowa Bloggers that took Chicago by storm a few weeks ago(previous posts here and here) had the privilege of having a private viewing of the fabulous Chicago SkyDeck early on Friday morning.  When we arrived we actually were the only guests on the 103rd floor so you can bet we took advantage of the private time by taking lots of pictures. The great thing is how accommodating all of the employees were.  They were all happy to help us make our experience perfect and it was so fun to be able to take pictures and look around leisurely before the first group of students came through.Getting to the 103rd floor takes awhile—fortunately for this gal who was still recovering from the epic half marathon injury I did not have to walk up as the elevators took us swiftly to our destination. (Please ignore the swollen foot crammed into a shoe picture.)

The Ledge is the highest observation deck in the United States and towers above the city at 1, 353 feet.  The glass boxes jut out of the building at 4.3 feet and I was surprised to discover that they actually are retractable and can be pulled back into the building for easy cleaning. The architecture firm of Skidmore, Owings and Merrill designed the ledge and the building opened in 1974 with more than 1 million visitors from the United States and other countries coming to take in the views yearly.

So how does it feel to be up 1,353 feet standing or laying (or jumping or doing handstands as some of the braver bloggers on this trip did) ?  Pretty amazing. The word of the day.

The construction of the Ledge is amazing with each box comprised of 3 layers of half inch thick glass laminated into one seamless unit.  When a visitor walks around the amazing 103rd floor they can view up to 50 miles on a clear day and catch glimpses of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Wisconsin.   That is an incredible experience.The morning that we were able to tour was a fairly clear day but I am horrible at picking out landmarks so I had to rely on many of the informational signs that detailed what was what. The building is filled with great signage and displays that help to enhance the experience.

The staff at the SkyDeck went over and above to provide us with a top rate experience.  We all received media kits with lots of fun facts and goodies included along with a bunch of photos that we were given to help us remember our day. The Skydeck Chicago general admission cost is $19.50 for ages 12 and up.  Cost for youth ages 3-11 is $12.50 with children under 3 years of age always being free.  The admission price includes access to museum quality exhibits, Reaching for the Sky, elevator ride to the Skydeck, and The Ledge which are the glass floored balconies.  A great option is the FastPass which costs $45 and gives guests the option to bypass the interactive exhibits and the “Reaching For The Sky” theater presentation and be within 2-4 elevator rides from the Skydeck.  I remember doing this with our boys earlier and it was worth it on an especially busy day.  There are also several other options that you can view by clicking here to go directly to their website. Although I did not jump on the Ledge I did lay down on it. Would you be scared to do that?  A lot of folks are a little intimidated by heights but this did not bother me this time or the time we visited the Sky Deck years ago with Micah and Aaron. 

Would you love this excursion?  I was thrilled to be able to have this special visit and wondered if any of my readers have been here as well.  Leave me a comment and tell me your experiences.  Remember that all comments count towards my Comments for a Cause this month –the Prayer Shawl Ministry at First UMC in Mason City.

Thank you to Clear Lake Chamber for the coordination and all the wonderful things we experienced during our trip to Chicago.

Selfie Stick Photo by the North Iowa Bloggers

It’s Just Life — Finding the Extraordinary in the Ordinary receives free products for review purposes. All opinions expressed are my own and were not influenced by any form of compensation. This disclosure is done in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission 10 CFR, Part 255 Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.