Illinois Attraction Offers Spectacular Views If You Have the Guts to Try It

Let me start by saying that heights and I have a love/hate relationship. They love to scare the crap out of me by being all way up in the air and stuff, and I hate them for it. With that said, I have stared them straight in the face on a few occasions and managed to enjoy the view they provide without passing out, throwing up, and soiling myself all at the same time. However, I'm not sure I could handle this Illinois attraction even though it appears to offer an incredible view of the city of Chicago.

Illinois Attraction Gives Incredible Views of Chicago from Over 1,000 Feet

When it comes to attractions that offer amazing views of the cities where they're located, a few prominent ones come to mind. The Empire State Building and Statue of Liberty in New York; Seattle's Space Needle; and the St. Louis Arch, the latter of the three being the only one I've been in and handled OK. Honestly, the ride up to the top of the arch was more fear-inducing than actually being at the top thanks to the claustrophobia I seem to have developed as I got older because I'm a fun time. I think what helped make the Arch view bearable was that you're looking out across the city through small windows while the rest of your body "feels" grounded if that makes sense. A feeling you won't get if you visit Tilt 360 in Chicago.

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Built on the 94th floor of the former John Hancock Center in Chicago's Magnificent Mile shopping district, this engineering marvel gives eight guests at a time the opportunity to "lean" over the city at a 30-degree angle from over 1,000 feet in the air.

How Tilt 360 Chicago Works

After buying your ticket, you step up one of the full-length window panes, which are hopefully made of very thick and very strong glass, grab ahold of the handles on either side and (try to) enjoy the ride. According to the Tilt website, the "ride" lasts two to three minutes and covers "several motion profiles."

Tilt has been in operation for a while, opening in early 2014. Despite the company saying the ride is inspected regularly inspected and held to the highest safety standards, I'm not sure I could handle it. The difference between this and the St. Louis Arch for me is the full-size window. At least with the Arch, I can see the edges of the windows in my peripheral vision which helps me not have thoughts of plummeting to my death. While I can't say for sure because I've not experienced it, it seems Tilt doesn't give me that security blanket due to the window. I'll assume you're saying, "Well, then don't get that close." And, you would be right. I could just save myself the anxiety, not step foot on it in the first place, and stand a safe distance back against a wall and watch everyone give it a try. Or I could just watch this virtual, first-person video while sitting comfortably in a chair with my feet on the ground.

If you're the complete opposite of me and enjoy a good adrenaline rush, it seems that Tilt would be right up your alley. You can find its hours of operation and ticket prices on the Tilt website. Meanwhile, I'll be at the bar grabbing a beer.

[Sources: 360 Chicago / 360 Chicago on YouTube]