Which Chicago skyscraper observation deck is better? We visited both.

The news helicopter hovering over the Chicago Loop was right at eye level.

That’s what my family of four noticed right away as we stepped out onto the 1,353-foot-high glass balcony jutting out from the Willis Tower, the city’s tallest skyscraper.

Then we looked down.

Through the 1.5-inch laminated glass panel floor beneath our feet, we could see tiny boats cruising along the Chicago River and traffic backing up on Wacker Drive.

The experience — called the Ledge at Skydeck Chicago — was an unexpected highlight during a recent family getaway. So was our time spent across town at the 94th-floor 360 Chicago, which has its own patented thrill experience: a row of moving glass ledges called TILT.

When planning our five-day visit to Chicago, we didn’t necessarily expect to make a stop at one, let alone two, of the city’s sky-high observatories.

It was our kids’ first visit to the Windy City. We knew Millennium Park and its Bean sculpture (officially named Cloud Gate and now reopened after plaza renovations) was a must-stop, along with a few other recommended attractions and restaurants. And we tried to narrow down which of Chicago’s fabulous array of museums our 8- and 10-year-old would like best.

But once we decided to try to save on admission by getting CityPASS Chicago tickets ($142 for adults and $112 for kids), we added an elevator ride at the Willis Tower to the itinerary.

That’s because every CityPASS includes upfront admission to Skydeck Chicago, as well as the Shedd Aquarium. It also allowed us to pick three more from a list of six top attractions like the Field Museum, the Adler Planetarium and an architecture river tour. The passes, which I easily accessed through the CityPASS app, are usable for up to nine days.

We had a great time at the aquarium, and for the other stops we chose the Art Institute of Chicago, the Griffin Museum of Science and Industry and — at our kids’ request — the 360 Chicago observation deck at 875 North Michigan Avenue (often still referred to as the John Hancock Center).

Last year, 360 Chicago updated its viewing platform and adjacent CloudBar cocktail lounge with floor and window murals and decor by area artists. The observatory also renovated and added art installations to the entry concourse that we walked through to get to the elevators.

By the time we spilled out onto the 94th floor, videos and displays gave us a crash course in the history of Chicago, its neighborhoods today and the building itself. Finished in 1969, the former John Hancock is the city’s fifth-tallest building. Its distinctive X-shaped external bracing gives it a unique look.

The observatory was very different from my memories of a visit decades ago, before it got a major renovation and rebrand in 2014. That’s when management company Magnicity (which also operates the Berlin TV tower and five other sky-high spots around the world) updated it and added TILT — a 26-foot-wide box of steel and glass that rotates out over the city.

TILT costs extra — $9 or $10 a ticket, depending on the time — and fits eight people at once. Our kids were eager to try it out immediately. They each gripped the handlebars and nervously leaned forward before the windows started moving, ultimately slanting out at a 30-degree angle above the street.

For my husband and me, just taking in the views as the sun went down over Chicago was thrill enough. We all weren’t quite ready to go back to the ground, so we hung out with other tourist families, enjoying the stunning panorama at the CloudBar (you don’t need a reservation, and we were able to claim a table fairly quickly).

In the end, though, everyone’s favorite sky-high experience turned out to be the one back at the Willis Tower, because we could all be together in the glass box above the city.

“You got to be together more, and you got to enjoy it more instead of being scared,” our youngest said. “And it was kind of more peaceful.”

The Skydeck is the tallest observatory deck in the United States. The attraction got its own extensive renovations in 2021, adding an interactive museum full of photo ops and exhibits about city figures, history and culture.

Before we headed to the elevators, the kids scampered through it, reading about the Great Chicago Fire, posing with Michael Jordan and the Obamas and lounging on a couch-sized deep dish pizza.

When completed in 1974, the building — then called the Sears Tower — was the tallest in the world. It held the title for 25 years.

In 2009, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, the architectural firm behind the tower’s original design, added a row of five glass-enclosed balconies called the Ledge to its 103rd floor. They extend out more than 4 feet.

The Ledge is included with admission. To keep things moving, groups get to spend just a minute and a half out above the city. But what a memorable 90 seconds!

In the end, our family saved about $110 by using CityPASS, and we were happy with our mix of museums and attractions.

Along with a stop at Navy Pier, deep dish pizza at Lou Malnati’s and much-anticipated fancy tea with dolls at American Girl Place, it all made for a fantastic trip. We even snuck in a stop at Legoland in suburban Schaumburg on our drive home. Our youngest announced plans to move to Chicago someday.