Top of the Rock - Observation Deck (Open 90 Day Ticket)

Shearwater is a classic Newport-style schooner yacht, only recently recognized as a national landmark in 2009.  The vessel was built by Rice Brother Corporation in East Boothbay, Maine, back in a time when yachting was a rare combination of elegance and adventure; Rice Bros. were well known for building luxury pleasure yachts and produced some 4,000 hulls over a period of 64 years. The keel was laid down on January 4, 1929 and a news clip from the Boothbay Register reflects alongside a photograph "Tyler Hodgon at the old Tide Mill is getting out timbers for the schooner to be built at Rice’s. Vessel to be built of native white oak." Traditionally built from hand-hewn native white oak, she was the last boat to be constructed at that yard - likely due to the ensuing Great Depression brought on by the Stock Market Crash that occurred later that autumn.  East Boothbay was a small coastal town with shipbuilding being its only industry. About 40 workmen were employed for the construction of SHEARWATER. Her designer Theodore Donald Wells was born in Hudson Falls, N Y on October 22, 1875. He was a naval architect and marine engineer, a member of the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers and also the Institute of Naval Architects London. His education included post-graduate work at the University of Glasgow in Scotland. He began his career as a member of the firm Herreshoff and Wells, N. Y. City in 1902. Working with Herreshoff no doubt had an influence on his designs, which bear similarities to many of the famous Herreshoff designed yachts of that time. From 1903 to 1907 he worked for Wintringham and Wells and then began practicing his profession under his own name. Mr. Wells joined the Navy Department in March 1917 and became Superintending Constructor of the Baltimore District U. S. N. Notable yachts designed and constructed under his supervision are "Viking" a 272 foot steel motor yacht built for George F. Baker in 1929 by Newport News and "Karina" a three masted schooner built for Robert E. Tod in 1932 by Staten Island Shipbuilding. Mr. Tod was a well-known offshore yachtsman as was his former yacht ‘Thistle", which competed in the Emperors Cup ocean race. SHEARWATER was launched on May 4, 1929 and photographs in the Boothbay Register reflect her graceful and elegant lines. Her first Captain, Leon Esterbrook of Edgarton, MA, arrived to take charge of the fitting out. Her owner Charles E Dunlap was a member of the Seawanhaka Corinthian Yacht Club, Oyster Bay, NY and this became SHEARWATER’s first homeport after her completion in late September 1929. It was there in Oyster Bay that she first started to thrill those who sailed in luxury aboard her and those who were privileged to crew her on race day. Since her launching and documentation in Lloyd’s Register of American Yachts in 1929, she has had a colorful history and has been carefully maintained and restored to standards that few contemporary vessels are able to match and is truly a piece of American Maritime History. On November 7, 1942 SHEARWATER was requisitioned by the War Shipping Administration and became a member of The United States Coast Guard’s Coastal Picket Patrol during World War Two. She was painted gray and bore the numbers CG67004. Based at Little Creek, Virginia she patrolled the waters east of the Chesapeake Bay entrance and south towards Cape Hatteras. Her skipper during that period reflected on how they used their free time while out on submarine patrol to race against other yachts and in his own words "sailed in tandem with the schooner Lord Jim, racing in and out of port, up and down the east coast and winning." She was designed and built as a gaff rigged schooner but during this period was changed to a Marconi rig. She carries over 2,550 square feet while under full sail. A true veteran world cruiser, she first transited the Panama Canal in July 1946 and in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s completed a two and a half-year global circumnavigation. In December 1971 Mrs. John B. Thayer of Rosemont, wife of a former trustee and treasurer, donated SHEARWATER to the University of Pennsylvania’s Institute of Environmental Medicine. She was used by the university as a laboratory for research on physiological responses to the stresses of living and working underwater. Captained by James Shearson, she was fitted with compressors, generators, monitoring instruments and a small decompression chamber. She has participated in many Ancient Mariner and Classic yacht races in U S waters as well as racing in the Bay of Islands in New Zealand while on her circumnavigation in the early 1980’s. It is rumored she was once dismasted in the famous Newport to Bermuda race. She was last raced by the current owners in San Diego in May 1995 in the American Schooner Cup and finished second overall. She entered the yacht charter industry in 1966 whilst on the West Coast sailing to the Channel Islands and was again used to generate income to keep her shipshape while owned by the University of Pennsylvania. During the chartering industry’s infancy in the Caribbean, SHEARWATER was known as the " Queen of the Fleet". Today she continues this tradition offering the most unique sailing experience and has passed rigid Coast Guard inspections and can carry up to 49 passengers. We welcome you to join us for an excellent opportunity to experience the ambiance of a vintage sailing vessel while delighting in the splendors of The Manhattan sky-line, the Statue of Liberty or the beauty of the oceans beyond.

Click here for a complete list of current attractions included with the Chicago Explorer Pass Frequently Asked Questions Is this just a discount card? Will I still need to buy tickets? No. Passes include admission to each attraction; no need to pay anything at the gate. Some attractions may offer upgrades or special exhibits for an additional fee. Do I need to choose my attractions in advance? Nope, choose as you go. The pass is good for any combination of the number of attractions you purchased. My child is under 3 years old. Can I get them a Chicago Explorer Pass? Child Passes are recommended for children ages 3-12. Many attractions offer free admission for younger children. Please consult the attraction websites for more details. How will I get my pass? Delivered via E-mail: Printable and Smartphone Versions How do I activate my pass? Easy: simply visit your first attraction! Is the pass valid all day? You bet! Feel free to visit the attractions any time of the day as long as they are open or operating. What is your refund policy? Our Risk Free Guarantee gives you one year from your purchase date to return any non-activated passes for a full refund. How much will I save? Compare the price of the pass to the gate prices of the attractions you want to visit to see how much you can save. Many customers save 40%. We give you the flexibility to create your own itinerary and choose the attractions you want to visit depending on your interests. Can I visit an attraction more than once? No. Your pass includes only one visit per attraction. Does a Chicago Explorer Pass expire? Yes. You have one year from the date of purchase to begin using your pass. After one year, it will expire. After activated, you’ll have 30 days to use your pass. Do I need to make reservations to visit the attractions? Attractions that require a reservation will display a symbol on the guidebook page. Some attractions require a credit card to hold a reservation. In these cases, your credit card will not be charged unless you do not show up for your reservation. What’s the catch? There’s no catch. Chicago Explorer Pass has a partnership with all of the participating attractions to make your visit to Chicago as memorable as possible and to help you save time and money. Can I share my pass with a friend or sell it? No. The Chicago Explorer Pass is non-transferrable and may not be re-sold. What happens if an attraction is closed or a tour is cancelled due to weather or other problem? While we do our best to ensure that all attractions are available, events happen that are out of our control. The great thing about a Chicago Explorer Pass is that there are so many attractions to choose from. If an attraction is closed, or cannot be visited for some reason, we know you'll find a fun alternative in your guidebook! SHEDD AQUARIUM EXHIBITS AMPHIBIANS! Get ready for a toadally ribbiting experience! Shedd’s new special exhibit, Amphibians, included with admission. ​In Amphibians, you’ll meet 40 species of frogs, salamanders and rarely seen caecilians. Learn how amphibians’ lives are full of change, from their life cycles to their adaptations to live in nearly every environment on Earth. Find out how too much change can spell trouble for amphibians — and how you can help them cope with big changes in our world today! Waters of the World Travel the world in 80 habitats. Dive into Oceans, from coastal kelp forests to the seafloor. Explore the self-contained ecosystems of Islands and Lakes. Visit Rivers—big and small—and learn more about our local waters in the new At Home on the Great Lakes exhibit. Meet hundreds of amazing animals, from tiny mantella frogsto a a giant octopus, from a Grand Cayman blue iguana to Nile knifefish, and from moon jellies to sea stars. We even have map turtles, in case you get lost. Caribbean Reef Take a 360-degree tour of an underwater reef community. Follow a green sea turtle. Peek at a moray eel in a rocky crevice. Watch regal rays glide by. Get eye-to-eye with parrot fish and sharks. Visit Caribbean Reef, Shedd’s award-winning 90,000-gallon circular habitat in the grand rotunda. Amazon Rising Take an exotic journey in the Amazon, home to one-third of all living things. Watch out for anacondas and piranhas, spiders, rays and a camouflaged caiman. In churning river channels, still lakes and even flooded treetops look for tetras, turtles and fruit-eating fish called tambaqui. See how the region’s animals, plants and people adapt to the water’s dramatic annual rise and fall. Abbott Oceanarium The Abbott Oceanarium immerses you in the vibrant coastal ecosystem of beluga whales, Pacific white-sided dolphins, sea otters and sea lions. You’ll also find a host of fishes and invertebrates that make their homes where freshwater flows into the ocean or where tides turn seascapes to landscapes and back again each day. Use our self-guided map to discover how animals are linked to each other, their homes and you. Polar Play Zone Kids have a place at Shedd that they can call their own—Polar Play Zone. It’s cool as ice and twice as nice! The penguins think so, too. Play! Splash! Pretend! What would you like to be? A sleek sliding penguin? A deep-sea explorer? How about both? In Polar Play Zone, you can slip into a penguin suit and try being a bird in the Icy South play area. From there, head to the Icy North to explore the belugas’ Arctic waters in a kid-sized submarine. Don’t forget to shake hands—or is it arms?—with colorful sea stars in the touch pools. In Polar Play Zone, you’ll learn about polar opposites—big and small, fast and slow, shallow and deep, even north and south—while you play. The Oceanarium Aquatic Presentation​ is included however based on available seating and remaining show times at the time of guest arrival. (2018 Aquatic Presentation Schedule) Stingray Touch (seasonal experience) is included. Open late May through October. 4D Experience is not included however the 4D experience tickets may be purchased at the theatre for $3.00 per -person Pets are not allowed in the aquarium

Blue & Gold Fleet’s 90-minute Escape from the Rock cruise takes you under the Golden Gate Bridge and around Alcatraz Island to see every angle of this mysterious island. Hear intriguing stories about Alcatraz escape attempts by Al Capone, Billy Cook the Killer, Clyde Johnson and many others, giving you a clear picture of what life was like in this maximum-security prison when it was the most feared institution in the American penal system. A free multi-language audio tour is now available in nine languages: English, Spanish, Mandarin, Italian, French, Japanese, Korean, German & Taiwanese. Please bring your Wi-Fi enabled device to access the tour.

SF City Sites Tour Our 20-minute basic flight will take you over the splendor of the greatest city in the U.S. – San Francisco! On this flight you will take off from our seabase in the lovely bayside village of Sausalito just across the Golden Gate Bridge. We will fly along the shoreline of the quaint bayside village of Sausalito, then right over the legendary Golden Gate Bridge herself! We continue to Crissy Field, Downtown San Francisco, AT&T Park – Home of the San Francisco Giants, then on over the infamous island prison of Alcatraz. Finally your flight will be completed with a pass by the historic Angel Island, and back for a smooth landing back in Sausalito’s Richardson Bay. Aircraft depart from our Seaplane Base in Sausalito/Mill Valley.

Volendam, Marken and Windmills: GPS Tour DURATION: 5½-hours DEPARTURE: Winter Daily at 09:15 and 12:15 DEPARTURE: Summer  Daily at 08:45 and 14:45 GUIDE: GPS guide in 16 languages ​A visit to Amsterdam and the Netherlands would not be complete without having seen the lovely Dutch countryside.  This excursion takes you to the countryside north of Amsterdam, to the edge of the river Zaan, where you visit windmill village 'de Zaanse Schans,' with its characteristic green wooden houses. On the turn of the 18th century this district was an industrial area with approximately 700 windmills in use. In this day and age there are only give left. Through typical Dutch scenery you continue to Volendam for a city walk and the traditional fisherman's village of Marken, situated on the shores of the former Zuiderzee. This tour includes a visit to a working windmill, boatride between Marken and Volendam, a demonstration in a cheese factory and visit to a traditional clogmaker. The tour is live guided, but supported by an GPS audio system in 16 languages.  Includes: Deluxe Coach Guide Entrance to a windmill Clogmaker Cheese Factory Boat between Marken and Volendam Why not combine your visit to Volendam, Marken and Windmills with other famous attractions and activities in Amsterdam such as Canal Cruise or Madame Tussauds Amsterdam.

Hollywood Made Here! Touch, tour and explore the iconic 110-acre backlot Visit the actual working sets and soundstages Explore the legendary Prop Department Sit in the iconic couch from FRIENDS Discover the expansive Picture Car Vault Learn how we make movies - Stage 48:  Script to Screen The Legacy Room Tours are in Spanish (Monday to Friday at 09:30/12:00/15:00) Also available in English. Backlots and soundstages  Housed on our 110-acre studio backlot, the Warner Bros. Studio Tour Archive features two floors of iconic memorabilia that tells the story of how all of your favorite movies and TV shows came to life. NOW OPEN! DC UNIVERSE:THE EXHIBIT This interactive exhibit pays homage to the origins of DC Comics, including original comic books featuring all seven Super Heroes of the Justice League. Studio Tour guests will be able to play three of WB Games' most popular DC games: Batman: Arkham Knight, Injustice: Gods Among Us, and Lego Batman. Additionally, guests will be able to explore authentic props and costumes from "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice" and an exclusive sneak peek at David Ayer's upcoming "Suicide Squad" on a rotating basis. Highlights of the interactive experience include the original Belle Reve prison cell set once occupied by Harley Quinn (portrayed on-screen by Margot Robbie) in “Suicide Squad,” as well as the Bat lab in the Batcave from Ben Affleck’s first outing as Batman in “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice" Guests will have the opportunity to interact with Kryptonite, Superman’s sole weakness and see striking Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman costumes.The authentic costumes of Lois, Clark, Alfred, and Bruce Wayne, original Bat Lab in the Bat Cave set pieces, and much more will also be on display. THE HARRY POTTER EXHIBIT Reveal the magic of the celebrated HARRY POTTER film series when you visit the Archive.  For a limited time, you’ll see many of the costumes and props that appeared in all eight blockbuster movies. Get sorted by the sorting hat and see what house you belong to. The Picture Car Vault Our Picture Car Vault has been transformed into the BATCAVE. For a limited time, you can see all the incredible Batmobiles used in the celebrated film series like the TUMBLER, the BATHAMMER, the BAT-POD, and more. The Prop Department Home to more than 450,000 registered artifacts, the Warner Bros. Prop Department contains countless treasures used in nearly a century's worth of entertainment.  From Casablanca to The Hangover, you'll see history unfold right before your eyes during your journey through the largest prop department in the world. Stage 48:  Script to screen Our L.A studio tour guests will be able to discover firsthand how our TV programs and movies are created from start to finish in this new interactive soundstage.  Warner Bros. Studio Tour Hollywood proudly presents Stage 48: Script to Screen. This interactive soundstage explores phases of the film and television production process. Here is where you see how Hollywood is made. Our knowledgeable tour guides will happily answer all of your production-related questions—and reveal even more of Hollywood’s best-kept secrets—during this 45-minute, self-guided experience at one of the best things to do in Los Angeles. FROM SCREENWRITING AND CASTING, TO AUDIO MIXING AND THE GLORY OF AWARDS SEASON, GUESTS WILL ENJOY A TRULY IMMERSIVE LOOK AT HOW THE MAGIC OF HOLLYWOOD IS MADE. PRE-PRODUCTION Before the first camera rolls, the writing and casting phase must be picture perfect. Our pre-production soundstage brings these key components into focus. Here, you can build your very own Batmobile at one of our interactive design stations and shift your creativity into overdrive! As you experience one of the best attractions in LA, you’ll gain insight into the craft of costume design from the talented artists behind the wardrobes featured in Sweeney Todd and Man of Steel. Plus, our interactive design stations let you design your own costume with styles inspired by the fabrics, headpieces and gowns seen in Camelot, Sweeney Todd and The Great Gatsby. Our pre-production experience also includes a high-definition touch screen casting table where you can view the authentic headshots and audition reels from some of your favorite actors like Oscar® winner Leonardo DiCaprio, the cast of The Vampire Diaries, and more! PRODUCTION In production, you’ll learn firsthand how actors and directors make the unforgettable scenes that keep you glued to your seat. Our production soundstage features the authentic Central Perk set from the hit TV show Friends where you can record a real screen test and reenact scenes from one of the funniest episodes. Fans of The Lord of the Rings films visiting the Los Angeles can return to Middle-earth and be a part of the mind-bending special effect known as ‘forced perspective filming’, as seen in The Fellowship of the Ring. Don’t forget to take plenty of pictures! Our production soundstage also includes the famous Malibu beach house set from Two and a Half Men, the authentic Russian Soyuz capsule from the 2013 science fiction thriller Gravity, and much more.  POST-PRODUCTION The final finishing touches that turn a director’s vision into reality are added in post-production. Join in the movie making magic yourself by riding the Nimbus 2000 or Firebolt brooms seen in the Harry Potter film series or ride the Bat-pod through the streets of Gotham in our green screen experience just like the actors do while filming. We’ll also reveal the secrets behind the visual effect known as ‘motion capture.’ You’ll also see how green screen technology was used to create the celestial, deep space visuals in Gravity and the thrilling fight sequences in The Matrix. Our post-production soundstage includes a fully equipped, state-of-the-art recording studio. Once inside, you’ll learn how speech, sound effects and music are all added to film by examining the soundtrack from Gravity, which won Oscars® for Sound Editing and Sound Mixing. THE WARNER BROS. LEGACY ROOM The Warner Bros. Legacy Room is a striking visual testament to the passion, creativity and determination of the studio’s four founding brothers—Albert, Jack, Sam and Harry Warner. Along with a towering collection of awards the studio has earned, the room features many iconic costumes and props from some of the biggest movies and television shows in entertainment history. On display, guests will see Harry Callahan’s handgun from Dirty Harry, Maggie’s boxing gloves from Million Dollar Baby, the authentic Blimp Model featured in the science fiction classic Blade Runner, and many more unforgettable pieces from the Warner Bros. archives.BATMAN Amenities
Studio Cafe Studio Retail Store Starbucks Coffee Free Wifi Wheelchair Friendly