Sears Tower Skydeck : Walking On Glass

posted on 12 July 2009 | posted in Construction and Design News

Since the Sears Tower Skydeck's new attraction opened Thursday, the observation deck has twice drawn more than 10,000 people a day, said Randy Stancik, its general manager. Even accounting for the novelty and the July 4 holiday weekend, a 10,000-ticket turnstile count is impressive -- roughly three times the Skydeck's daily average.

Such thrill rides are the latest thing, an almost surefire way to generate buzz and cash. Tourists can now venture onto a U-shaped, glass skywalk that soars over the Grand Canyon, with the Colorado River some 4,000 feet below. In Melbourne, Australia, the 91-story Eureka Tower sports a glass cube called "The Edge" that extends 10 feet beyond its facade, suspending visitors nearly 1,000 feet in the air.