The Evolution of a Landmark

Formerly known as the Sears Tower, Willis Tower has been an iconic part of the Chicago skyline since 1973. At 110 stories high, Willis Tower is also one of the largest skyscrapers in the world.

In 2017, Willis Tower underwent a massive transformation to be reimagined for the future of work. Today, Willis Tower is a welcoming anchor in the heart of downtown Chicago, offering a wide array of amenities for everyone in the community to enjoy.

The Tower by Numbers:

1,730 feet high (520 meters) including the building’s twin antennae

The Navy Pier was built on top of 20,000 logs

Navy Pier was built on top of 20,000 logs that were imported from Oregon. This was the largest construction that took place at the time. It cost 4.5 million dollars. The construction was completed in 1916 overseen by architect Charles Sumner Frost. The 292 feet wide Navy Pier was then and remains the largest pier in the world.

It hosted the largest passenger ship on the Great Lake

The SS Aquarama which was 520 feet long and weighed 12,000 tons was the largest passenger ship in 1955. It was previously a U.S. Navy troop transport ship that was converted to a passenger ship. The ship could carry 2,500 passengers and 160 automobiles. It cruised at speeds as high as 2 miles per hour. It spent a summer at Navy Pier offering a floating entertainment palace.

Navy Pier was home to the first-ever Ferris Wheel

The Ferris Wheel was designed and constructed by Ferris G in 1893. It was erected as a form of promotion and publication of the World Columbian Exposition that was being held in Chicago that year. The original Ferris wheel was removed in 2015 and replaced by DW60 on the 27th of May 2016. The new Ferris wheel can withstand winds of 185km/h. It also has strong safety glasses that weather through intense storms.

Navy Pier made it to the World Record Book

The longest Ferris wheel ride in May 2013 was entered into the Guinness Book of World Records. The ride was by the Pier Park operations manager Clinton Shepherd. It took 48 hours, 8 minutes, and 25 seconds. This record was later broken in Belgium.

Many famous films have been shot in Navy Pier

Popular films like Divergent, Atlantic City, New Jersey, and The Color of Money have scenes shot on the Navy Pier. In Divergent, the pier and the Ferris wheel were displayed as abandoned and decayed. The flag is captured by the Dauntless team in the park as Tris and Four climb the Ferris wheel to spot the opposing team. While in The Color of Money the halls were used to represent the 9-Ball championship. Navy Pier has also featured in video games like NASCAR 09 where the pier is a fictional race track.

Adler Planetarium is the first modern planetarium in the Western Hemisphere. It's located on Lake Michigan's northeastern tip on Northerly Island and offers one of the best views of the Chicago skyline. It has three full-size theaters, including the Grainger Sky Theater, Definiti Space Theater, and 3D Universe Theater. Finally, it has played a significant role in space exploration history, collaborating with NASA on various space missions.

The Millennium Parking Garages and a railroad yard can be found underneath Millennium Park, making it one of the largest green roofs in the world.

Millennium Park is Chicago’s second most visited tourist attraction.

There are free tours of Millennium Park offered daily from the end of May to early October.

Groundbreaking on Shedd Aquarium began on November 2, 1927 which cost $3 million to build.

About 2 million people visit Shedd Aquarium each year.

At one point, Shedd Aquarium was the largest indoor aquarium in the world with 5 million gallons of water.