— 360 Chicago —
Chicago
A longtime favorite attraction for groups touring Chicago has a new name and a brand new hook. 360 Chicago, formerly known as the John Hancock Observatory, sits atop the John Hancock Building, one of the tallest in the city. As its name suggests, it offers complete 360-degree views of the city.
The attraction’s name change corresponds with a change in ownership and a large renovation project that brought new sound, lighting, audio tours and other features to the 94th-floor observatory. Renovation work will continue on the building’s entry level until April 2015, but the observatory will remain open the entire time.
Perhaps the most exciting element of the rebranding is the introduction of Tilt, which allows visitors to experience leaning out of the observatory window at a 30-degree angle, 1,000 feet above the surface of Chicago.
“This is a very exciting new feature that we just opened in May,” said Gina Marcellino, senior sales manager at 360 Chicago. “It’s an enclosed glass and steel movable platform. Guests are able to hold on to two handrails, one on either side, and they’re slowly tilted out of the window. They extend out to 30 degrees, but it feels much farther than what the mind thinks it would be.”
