John Hancock Center Signature Lounge at the 95th Floor
I've always been afraid of heights. One of the cornerstones of my paranoia is the first (and only) time I went to the top of the Sears Tower while visiting cousins here in Chicago when I was 10 years old. I have never forgotten the dizzying feeling of the floor-to-ceiling glass and the shear drop down to the city below. Unlike Ferris Bueller and his friends, I was unable to get within three feet of the windows, let alone stand on the railing and lean my forehead against the glass. What can I say? I'm a wuss.
If you're a wuss like me, and you're trying to see Chicago on a budget - don't pay $13 to go to the top of the Sears Tower to get scared. People like us go to the Signature Lounge at the top of the Hancock building for the view. For the price of a drink, and maybe a few appetizers, you get sweeping views of the near north side of Chicago. On a clear day, you can see Wrigley Field. To the east, Lake Michigan spreads out in blue splendor, dotted with sail boats in the summer time. Best of all, the floor-to-ceiling windows are broken up by a bar as well as the steel struts that give the Hancock its distinctive look, so all of my fellow acrophobic travelers can feel safe and secure.
The Signature Lounge is the bar area of the Signature Room restaurant. The Signature Room is a swanky, beautiful place with great food to match the views. They have live jazz on the weekends, and great scenery every day. If you are looking for a romantic place to have dinner during your stay, consider the Signature Room. Dress is classy casual (jacket and tie not required, but you'll feel out of place in shorts or jeans).
The Hancock building also has an observatory floor, with an admission fee of a little over $10 USD for adults (comparable to the Sears Tower). If you have small children, and you aren't terrified of heights, the paid observatory is a viable option. If you're really trying to see Chicago from the clouds, make sure to include the Sears Tower Observatory on your trip as well. Just because I'm terrified of it doesn't mean you should skip it.
The Hancock Building is located at 875 N. Michigan Avenue, and accessible via all Michigan Avenue CTA buses.
