Wacky facts file
Did you know...
- Spiders grow bigger (lots bigger!) this high up. We would show you some photos but we don't want you having nightmares!
- It takes two men 40 hours each to change all the light bulbs in the Crown of Lights, on the 99th floor.
- Omelet King Howard Helmer - the world's fastest omelet chef - whips up his quickest dish in 40 seconds. With the nation's fastest elevators, you'll arrive at the Observatory in 39 seconds while he's still cooking!
- The hero of the movie Iron Man might be able to fly this high, but birds stop at about 500ft. So don't expect to see one eye-to-eye up here.
- If you melted all the metal in John Hancock Center you could make 96 tour buses to transport the hardest rock bands!
- There are 1632 steps from the main lobby to the observatory on level 94. You would have to go up or down our Michigan Avenue Plaza over 58 times for the equivalent walk.
- The observatory has the only open-air viewing deck in Chicago. They say fast-talking politicians gave the city its nickname, but up here, you might think otherwise.
- During the 36 month construction period, some five million man-hours were required to complete the Center!
- At 17,371 square feet (1,614 square meters), nearly 3,745 square-dancers can dance circles around this sky-high icon.