Home
Sears Tower Climbing
John Hancock Center Climbing
World Trade Center Climbing
The Sears Tower
Formerly the World’s Tallest Skyscraper
Location: Chicago, Il USA
Height: 1,450 ft. /110 floors
On May 25, 1981, Dan Goodwin, wearing a homemade Spider-Man suit and
equipped with suction cups, camming devices, and sky hooks, made the
first successful outside ascent of the Sears Tower. On several occasions
the Chicago Fire Department tried to stop him by blocking his path
with a window washing machine. The climb took seven hours and he was
arrested for trespassing at the top. The reason he made the climb
was to call attention to shortcomings in high-rise rescue and firefighting
techniques. After a lengthy interrogation by Chicago's District Attorney
and Fire Commissioner, Goodwin was released.
The Renaissance Tower
Location: Dallas, Texas
Home of Ewing Oil & the Hit TV Series: Dallas
Height: 216 m / 710 ft. / 56 floors
On November 7, 1981, attired in a Spider-Man suit, Dan Goodwin, using his hands & feet along with suction cups, scaled the outside of the Renaissance Tower. Goodwin, later stated he made the climb as a gift to a young Dallas boy stricken with Cystic Fibrosis.
The John Hancock Center
World’s Tallest Residential Building
Location: Chicago, Il USA.
Height: 344 m / 1,127 ft / 100 Floors
On November 11, 1981, Dan Goodwin, for the purpose of calling attention
to inadequacies in high-rise firefighting and rescue, successfully
climbed the outside of the John Hancock Center. Wearing a custom designed Spider-Man 'wetsuit'
and using a climbing device that enabled him to ascend the I-beams
on the building's side, Goodwin battled the Chicago Fire Department
up the building's side. Fire Commissioner William Blair directed Chicago
firemen to stop Goodwin by blasting water from a fire hose at him,
by slamming fire axes from the inside through nearby building window
glass, and by blocking his path with long poles. Eventually Chicago
Mayor Jane Byrne intervened on the spot, allowing Goodwin to continue.
Following the climb Goodwin was interviewed on television
and stated:
"If I had cooperation of insurance companies and building owners
we could develop equipment that could be used very quickly and very
safely and save lives in case there was a major fire in one of these
major buildings such as the John Hancock."
Simon Bolivar Centre
Location: Caracas, Venezuela
Height: 30 Floors
In February, 1982, Dan Goodwin, used only his hands & feet to scale the
30 floor Simon Bolivar Centre. The purpose of the climb was to inaugurate a week during which he not
only would climb the Simon Bolivar Center but also conduct a seminar on high-rise firefighting and rescue
for Venezuelan emergency workers and climb the 56 story Parque Central, the tallest building in South America.
He was in Caracas at the invitation of the Venezuelan television station, Venevision, and with the support of the
Venezuelan government.
Parque Central Complex
Location: Caracas, Venezuela
Height: 221 m / 725 ft. / 56 Floors
Hailed as the tallest building in Latin America
In February, 1982, Dan Goodwin traveled to Caracas, Venezuela, at the invitation of a Venezuelan television station. During the week he was in Caracas, he scaled the 30 floor Simon Bolivar Centre, conducted a seminar on high-rise firefighting and rescue for Venezuelan emergency workers, then scaled the 56 floor Parque Central using suction cups, sky hooks, and his hands & feet.
World Trade Center New York City
On May 30, 1983, Memorial Day, Dan Goodwin, for the
purpose of calling attention to inadequacies in high-rise firefighting
and rescue (and wearing strategically placed gold lycra patches on his homemade Spider-Man suit so as to comply
with a court order stemming from a suit filed by Marvel Comics directing him to
cease wearing a Spider-Man suit on his building climbs), successfully scaled the outside of the North Tower of
the World Trade Center. NYPD arrested Goodwin at the top.
Upon release from custody,
Goodwin stated, "You mark my words, the day will come when terrorists
will target our towering skyscrapers, and when that day comes, thousands
will needlessly die because we won't be prepared to rescue them."
Nippon Television Tower
Location: Tokyo, Japan
Height: 10 Floors
In March, 1984, Dan Goodwin used suction cups to scale the
10 floor Nippon Television Tower. The climb was arranged by a Japanese filmmaker as publicity for
Nippon Television.
Bonaventure
Hotel
Los Angeles, CA
Height: 112 m / 367 ft / 32 Floors
On February 27, 1985, Dan Goodwin, in a promotion to raise money for World Hunger, scaled the outside of the Bonaventure Hotel in Downtown Los Angeles.
CN Tower
Formerly The World’s Tallest Structure
Location: Toronto, Canada
Height: 553 m / 1815 ft.
Scaled “Twice in one day!”
On June 26, 1986, the ten year anniversary of the tower's opening, Dan Goodwin used his hands & feet to climb the outside of the CN Tower twice on the same day. Following both ascents he rappelled to the ground.
