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360 Chicago: 94th Floor Views & CloudBar Drink

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1/20

Duration1h–4h

Mobile ticketAccepted

The Elevator Ride Up Takes 40 Seconds. The View Lasts All Day.

You take a high-speed elevator to the 94th floor of the John Hancock Building and spend as long as you want looking out over Lake Michigan and downtown Chicago. The observation deck includes access to exhibits, a glass-floored Cloud Walk, and a 3D city map app. If you upgrade to Sip and View, one drink at CloudBar is included. Plan for 1–2 hours, depending on how long you linger.

1h–4h

Step-by-step itinerary

Ride elevator to 94th floor
Enjoy views of Lake Michigan and city
Visit CloudBar for drinks and treats
Optionally purchase TILT ride ticket

The Experience

The security guard at the concourse level smiled when I asked if the elevator was really that fast. "Twenty and a half miles per hour," he said, and he wasn't exaggerating — you feel it in your stomach for the first few seconds as you shoot up 94 stories above Michigan Avenue. Then the doors open and you're standing in front of Lake Michigan, the entire downtown grid spread out below you like someone laid it out on a table just to show you how it all fits together. On a clear day you can see all the way to the horizon where the water meets the sky. On a gray one, the city's just a different shade of gray, which is its own thing.

The observation deck wraps around the whole floor, so you're not stuck in one spot — you walk the perimeter and the view keeps changing. There's the Cloud Walk, a glass-floored section that lets you look straight down if you're into that kind of thing, and the new exhibits in the concourse cover Chicago's neighborhoods and architecture, which actually adds context instead of just being filler. The Magnicity App is there too if you want to pull up a 3D map of the city on your phone and figure out what you're looking at. Most people don't bother, but it's there. The CloudBar sits on the 94th floor itself, so if you upgrade to the Sip and View ticket, you get one drink included — beer, wine, or a cocktail from a rotating menu — and you can stand there with your glass and watch the light change over Lake Michigan. It's a small thing, but it changes the pace of the visit.

The one thing to know: TILT, the tilting glass ride that hangs you out over the edge at 1,030 feet, isn't included in any ticket. You buy it separately once you're up there, and it's not cheap. But the main deck itself is plenty — you don't need the extra thrill to feel like you've seen Chicago from the top. The building sits right on Michigan Avenue in the heart of downtown, so after you come down you're steps away from everything else worth seeing. The ticket is non-refundable if the weather turns and visibility drops, so pick a day when the forecast is clear, or book knowing you can reschedule up to a year out if you need to.

What’s included

Your ticket includes admission to the 360 Chicago observation deck on the 94th floor, access to the Cloud Walk glass-floored section, the new concourse exhibits (The City Beautiful and City of Neighborhoods), and the Magnicity 3D map app.
If you choose the Sip and View upgrade, one drink from CloudBar is included.
TILT is not included and must be purchased separately on-site.

Good to know

Easy physical levelWheelchair accessibleStroller friendlyPublic transport nearby

Operated by 360 CHICAGO Observation Deck (Formally John Hancock Center)

Is this one for you?Pick this if you want to see Chicago from the top without spending hours in a line or figuring out which building to go to — the fixed location on Michigan Avenue and the included exhibits mean you're not just standing there looking, you're actually learning the layout of the city as you look at it.