CHICAGO — Visitors to the Sears Tower’s new glass balconies all seem to agree: The first step is the hardest.
The balconies are suspended 1,353 feet in the air and jut out 4 feet from the building’s 103rd floor Skydeck. Their transparent walls, floor and ceiling leave visitors with the impression they’re floating over the city.
“It’s like walking on ice,” said Margaret Kemp of Bishop, Calif., who said her heart was still pounding even after stepping away from the balcony. “That first step you take — ‘Am I going down?’ ”
Kemp was among the visitors who got a sneak preview of the balconies Wednesday. “The Ledge,” as the balconies have been nicknamed, will open to the public today. Visitors are treated to unobstructed views of Chicago — for those brave enough .
The balconies can hold 5 tons, and the glass is 1 1/2 inches thick, officials said. Sears Tower officials have said the inspiration for the balconies came from the hundreds of forehead prints that visitors left behind on Skydeck windows every week.
Adam Kane, 10, of Alton, Ill., rushed to the ledge with his friends and siblings, and they each eagerly pressed their faces to the glass bottom. “Look at all those tiny things that are usually huge,” Adam said.
