Sears Tower

Sears Tower and Friends by rjseg1 , on Flickr

The Sears Tower has been the tallest skyscraper to stand in Chicago since May, 1973 When it was completed. It was expected that The Chicago Spire would surpass it in height by 2012, but this stop due to financial difficulties. From the floor to the roof there is a distance of 1,450.58 feet, but in 1982 two television antennas were added to the top increasing the height to 1,707 feet in total. One of Chicago's most visited spots is the Skydeck. The skydeck located on the 103rd floor was open for the public June, 1974 at a height of 1,353 feet! Which makes it the highest observatory of Chicago.

Water Tower Chicago

Chicago Water Tower ~ The Grandeur of Chicago. by Chicagos~Finest , on Flickr

The Tower is situated at 800 N. Michigan Avenue, on the north end of The Magnificent Mile. It was built in 1869 by architect William W. Boyinton using yellow limestone blocks and is 154 feet tall. Its Gothic style with little towers makes it look more like a European 13th century castle than an actual water tower. The tower became functionally obsolete many years ago, although the pumping station still pumps water for the city. It was one of the few buildings to survive the the Great Fire of 1871, and since then it has become one of Chicago's greatest attractions.