Dark Knight Trilogy

15. Willis Tower

Chicago, IL

Book Now

The Dark Knight presented Gotham in a more sleek and modernized outlook contributed to the chosen buildings. Built in 1973, the previously named Sears Tower stood as the tallest building in the world for 25 years and was only recently surpassed in the United States by the New World Trade Center. The same year it was renamed the Willis Tower, an observation deck located on the one hundred and third floor referred to as the sky deck, opened a viewing ledge with three layers of thick glass providing a transparent floor and one of the top tourist attractions in Chicago. A play off of the infamous scene from Batman Begins in which The Batman is perched atop the historic Jeweler's building, Director Nolan chooses a more iconic view for The Dark Knight. Gaining a prominent vantage point standing atop the black sheen of Willis Tower, The Caped Crusader surveyed Gotham while listening to radio transmissions in the search for The Joker. Not exactly a light perch considering the Willis Tower stands 110 stories tall as the eighth tallest building in the world. Strapping into the role of Batman, and a harnessed cable, actor Christian Bale did not want to pass up the opportunity and performed the stunt himself. Filmmakers were leery, especially considering the tower is known to sway in the wind, often given workers on the top floor motion sickness. The night's weather wasn't appealing either, but was later appreciated as it gave a masking of the troubled city during a time of rising terror.