Jaunted

We can appreciate the rush you can get if heights aren't your thing, since the three ledges (with a fourth one being constructed) hang 1,353 feet in the air. When we visited, a girl was gripping the walls for dear life while her boyfriend snapped a photo of her standing on the glass floor. She immediately called someone to report how scary it is. But if you aren't afraid of heights, you won't get such a thrill. It is somewhat cool, however, to get the visual of dangling on the edge of the tower and seeing straight down the black exterior and tinted windows of the Western Hemisphere's tallest building. It's also a little morbid, since it kind of simulates stepping out of a window and onto Wacker Drive and the Chicago River.

But that didn't seem to bother the tourists milling around The Ledge. It was definitely the most popular spot for a photo op, with people standing, crouching, sitting and laying on the glass floor. While we wouldn't necessarily recommend that people who've already done the Skydeck trip come back for this attraction, since the view isn't all that different from the other windows lining the walls, it's a small perk of the $14.95 admission.

The tower folks were clever in coming up with another way to experience the amazing view. There are the floor-to-ceiling windows that give you views of Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin; telescopes to see up close; and now glass boxes that almost make you feel like you'll fall straight down. Dare to stand out?

Related Stories:
· Look Down: Sears Tower Jumps on the Glass Floor Bandwagon [Jaunted]
· A Sad Day For Chicago: Sears Tower Officially Renamed [Jaunted]
· United Is Moving On Up, To Chicago's Willis Tower [Jaunted]

[Photos: Jennifer Kester]