The World's Most Extreme SCAREscrapers

Video hosted by Fred Mills.

EVER since they began to rise in the late 1800s, people have been fascinated by skyscrapers.

While the thrill of seeing our cities from above has never faded, as tall buildings have proliferated and as competition for tourism has increased, several skyscrapers have introduced attractions that take visitors to new heights.

Here, we’ve travelled from East to West and tracked down the most adrenaline-inducing experiences topping some of the world’s tallest structures.

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EUREKA TOWER - MELBOURNE

We begin our journey in Melbourne at the observation deck of the Eureka Tower, the highest viewing platform in the Southern Hemisphere.

Located nearly 300 metres above the city, the skydeck provides an unparalleled perspective of Melbourne and beyond, with views of up to 75 kilometres in every direction.

Above: Eureka Tower;'s "Edge" experience takes visitors six metres beyond the footprint of the building in a glass box (image courtesy of Eureka Skydeck). 

For those daring enough, the skydeck offers the "Edge Experience".

Stepping into an opaque glass box, guests are extended six metres beyond the building before the glass “shatters” and becomes clear, revealing a 285-metre sheer drop below.

Despite being deliberately vertigo-inducing, the Edge has become a favourite spot for locals to propose - you can even reserve it for the occasion.

CANTON TOWER - GUANGZHOU

China’s 604 metre Canton Tower offers not one but two heart-racing experiences for visitors.

Laying claim to the world's highest Ferris wheel, passengers can take an inclined journey around the edge of the tower's summit, some 451 metres above the ground.

Above: Canton Tower is home to the world's highest amusement rides. 

If that weren't enough, the most daring of us are able to ride the world’s highest amusement ride, aptly named the Sky Drop.

Raising up the tower's mast to a height of 485 metres above street level, the ride proceeds to drop visitors 31 metres back to the roof of the tower.

875 NORTH MICHIGAN AVENUE - CHICAGO

Heading to the birthplace of the skyscraper, Chicago's iconic John Hancock Centre - now known as 875 North Michigan Avenue - has been retrofitted with the dramatic "TILT experience".

After seeing the popularity of the nearby Willis Tower's glass ledge, the building’s new owners first installed the TILT in 2014.

Above: Nothing but a pane of glass lies between visitors and the outside world at Chicago's TILT experience (image courtesy of 360º Chicago Observation Deck). 

The attraction consists of a series of floor-to-ceiling windows that slowly pivot 30 degrees outside of the observation deck.

The experience allows visitors to feel like they're precariously straddling the edge of the skyscraper, 310 metres above the city below.

STRATOSPHERE - LAS VEGAS

Never one to be outdone for thrills, the Stratosphere in Las Vegas offers multiple hair raising experiences for visitors to Sin City.

The Big Shot takes visitors to a height of 329 metres, before dropping them 49 metres to the observation deck below - and used to be the highest amusement ride in the world until it was surpassed by those on China’s Canton Tower.

Above: The Stratosphere in Las Vegas offers multiple hair raising experiences at its summit (image courtesy of Stratosphere Hotel and Casino). 

Insanity dangles visitors over the edge of the structure before spinning them around at speeds that reach 64 kilometres an hour while the “X-Scream” see-saws passengers back-and-forth over the edge of the tower.

If that's not enough, the Stratosphere also features the highest sky jump in the world where visitors can leap from a 260-metre high platform and fall to a landing pad at speeds of up to 64 kilometres an hour.

US BANK TOWER - LOS ANGELES

Finally, at the far west of our journey, we come to the iconic US Bank Tower in Los Angeles - completed in 1989 and built to withstand earthquakes measuring up to 8.3 on the Richter Scale.

Above: The US Bank Tower in Los Angeles added a transparent slide for visitors in 2014 (image courtesy of OUE Skyspace LA).

In 2014, the tower was fitted with a completely transparent glass slide that curls around the outside of the structure from its 70th to 69th floors, some 300 metres above Downtown LA.

The slide formed part of a USD $31 million reconstruction of the tower's top floors that also saw the addition of a publicly accessible observation deck.

This video was made possible by Trading 212, the trading app that democratises the financial markets by letting anyone invest in thousands of real stocks and ETFs totally free. No commission. No fees. No Limits. To get a free share worth up to £100 click here.

Narrated by Fred Mills. Additional footage and images courtesy of Eureka Skydeck, 360 Chicago Observation Deck, Stratosphere Hotel and Casino and OUE Skyspace LA.

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