A Ferris wheel on the boardwalk in Ocean City, New Jersey, USA. Ocean City is a city in Cape May County, New Jersey, United States.

A Ferris wheel (also known as an observation wheel or big wheel) is a nonbuilding structure consisting of an upright wheel with passenger gondolas suspended from the rim. Nonbuilding structures, also referred to simply as structures, are those not designed for continuous human Occupancy.

Ferris wheels are an amusement park ride and may also be found at urban parks and public places. Rides redirects here For the album by Reef see Rides (album, and for the BBC television series see Rides (TV series. An urban park, also known as a municipal park (North America or a public park or open space (United Kingdom is a Park in cities and other Ferris wheels usually hold about 50-100 people.

History

Drawing of a 17th-century precursor to the Ferris wheel.

Original Ferris wheel

The Ferris wheel is named after George Washington Gale Ferris, Jr. He graduated from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and he was a Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania bridge-builder. George Washington Gale Ferris Jr ( February 14, 1859 - November 22, 1896) invented the Ferris wheel, for the 1893 Chicago Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, or RPI, is a Nonsectarian private Research University located in Troy, New York He began his career in the railroad industry and then pursued an interest in bridge building. Ferris understood the growing need for structural steel and founded G. W. G. Ferris & Co. in Pittsburgh, a firm that tested and inspected metals for railroads and bridge builders.

Ferris designed and built the first 264 foot (80 meter) wheel for the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago, Illinois in 1893. The World's Columbian Exposition (also called The Chicago World's Fair) a World's Fair, was held in Chicago in 1893 to celebrate the 400th anniversary Chicago (ʃɪˈkɑːgoʊ is the largest City by population in the state of Illinois and the American Midwest of the United States. The wheel was intended as a rival to the Eiffel Tower, the centerpiece of the 1889 Paris exhibition. The Eiffel Tower (Tour Eiffel /tuʀ ɛfɛl/ is an Iron Tower built The Exposition Universelle of 1889 was a World's Fair held in Paris, France from May 6, to October 31, 1889. This first wheel could carry 2,160 persons. The Ferris wheel was the largest attraction at the Columbian Exposition standing over 250' tall and powered by two 1000 HP steam engines. There were 36 cars accommodating 60 people each (40 seated, 20 standing). It took 20 minutes for the wheel to make two revolutions—the first to make six stops to allow passengers to exit and enter; the 2nd a single non-stop revolution—and for that, the ticket holder paid 50 cents. The wheel was moved twice after the 1893 Fair and was eventually destroyed (by controlled demolition) in 1906 after it was used at the St. Louis exposition of that year. At 70 tons, its axle was the largest steel forging of the time. It was 26 stories tall, only a quarter of the Eiffel Tower's height. ^[1]

Sections of this Ferris wheel were used to construct a bridge across the Kankakee River, about 45 miles south of Chicago just north of Tefft, Indiana. ^[2]

The Travels of Peter Mundy, 1608–1667 describes and illustrates "Several sorts of Swinginge used in their Publique rejoyceings att their feast of Biram" in the Ottoman Balkans. Among means "lesse dangerous and troublesome" only for children was a Ferris wheel "like a Craine wheele att Customhowse Key" where the passengers swing on short swings, sometimes sitting, sometimes hanging trapeze fashion. The illustration here is of a different Turkish design, apparently for adults.

A portable Ferris wheel in England

Another Ferris wheel with a height of 65 meters (213 feet), dating back to 1897, is the Riesenrad in Vienna's Prater in the second district of Leopoldstadt. Year 1897 ( MDCCCXCVII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common Vienna ( in Wien; see also other names) is the Capital of Austria, and is also one of the nine States of Austria. The Wiener Prater is a large public park in Vienna 's 2nd district Leopoldstadt. This article is about a district of Vienna Leopoldstadt is also the German name for the town Leopoldov in Slovakia It was designed by Hubert Cecil Booth. Hubert Cecil Booth ( 4 July 1871 &ndash 18 January 1955) was a British Engineer who invented the first See also World's Fair. The Weltausstellung 1873 Wien was the large World exposition which was held in 1873 in the Austrian-Hungarian capital of Vienna. . .

London, UK had its very own 'Gigantic Wheel' built at Earls Court in 1895, which was modelled on the original one in Chicago. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Earls Court, a district in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in London, England. Year 1895 ( MDCCCXCV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year This wheel stayed in service until 1906 by which time it had carried over 2. Year 1906 ( MCMVI) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting 5 million passengers. It was built by two young Australian engineers named Adam Gaddelin and Gareth Watson and was the first of over 200 Ferris wheels that they built.

For the 1900 Paris Exposition a 'Grande Roue', of similar size and design to Ferris', was constructed. The Exposition Universelle of 1900 was a World's fair held in Paris, France, to celebrate the achievements of the past century and to accelerate It was demolished in 1937. The wheel had 40 cars (as opposed to Chicago's 36), and is clearly visible in photos of the 1900 exhibition. ^[3]

Double and triple wheels

This illustration, from U. S. patent 1,354,436, depicts a variant of the Ferris wheel with sliding gondolas. It was built at Coney Island in the 1920s, and still operates at Deno's Wonder Wheel Park. Coney Island is a Peninsula, formerly an island in southernmost Brooklyn, New York City, USA with a Beach on the Atlantic Ocean A replica of this Ferris wheel can be found in Disney's California Adventure theme park. Disney's California Adventure Park (commonly referred to by its initials DCA) is a Theme park in Anaheim California, adjacent to Disneyland Park Theme park is the generic term for a collection of rides and other Entertainment attractions assembled for the purpose of entertaining a large group

In the mid to late 1970s, coaster company Intamin AG invented a twist on the Ferris wheel. Intamin AG is a designing and manufacturing company in Wollerau, Switzerland. Using long arms to hold the wheels, they created a way to load and unload Ferris wheels more quickly. In 1976, 2 Sky Whirls opened at Marriott's Great America (IL, CA) and were the first triple wheels. Sky Whirl was an Intamin Triple Giant Ferris wheel that operated at both Marriott's Great America Parks Triple wheels were attached to three long arms mounted equal distance in a circle on a central tower. When loading/unloading passengers, the 3 arms would rotate until one arm was at the loading area and hydraulics would bring that arm/wheel to the ground.

A two-arm version titled "Zodiac" was also installed at Kings Island in Ohio as well as Hersheypark in PA titled "Giant Wheel. Kings Island is a 364-acre (15 km² Theme park located in the city of Mason, in Warren County Ohio, USA. " The double wheels were attached to a long, straight arm. The arm was mounted in the center on a central tower. When the hydraulics lowered one side, the other raised. The Kings Island Zodiac was relocated to Australia's Wonderland but closed in 2004.

All models featured 8-10 passenger cages. The cages were attached to the wheels by chains. When the wheel was in the loading position, it was horizontal and all cages could be loaded at once. As the arm raised or rotated, the wheel moved to a vertical position and provided a typical Ferris-wheel ride, only much higher from the ground.

Another version of this ride existed at Magic Mountain in California titled "Galaxy. " This ride was similar to the Zodiac, except the arms did not raise as far off the ground. The arms on this ride were shaped more in a "V", than a straight line, and the central tower was shorter. On each wheel were 4 smaller wheels that also rotated, providing a double vertical rotating movement.

A fourth version of the ride was installed and removed at Astroworld in Texas titled "Morowheel. " It was also similar to the Zodiac model, but had the shorter tower/"V" arm configuration of the Galaxy.

Observation wheels

The London Eye

Some operators prefer the term observation wheel to Ferris wheel, and large Ferris wheels are sometimes marketed as observation wheels to differentiate them from smaller Ferris wheels, however the two are actually the same, and any distinction between the two names is at the discretion of the wheel operator. Indeed, many of the wheels whose owners reject the term Ferris wheel actually have more in common with the original Chicago Ferris wheel of 1893, particularly in terms of being an iconic landmark for a city or event. Chicago (ʃɪˈkɑːgoʊ is the largest City by population in the state of Illinois and the American Midwest of the United States.

The world's tallest wheel, the Singapore Flyer, is described as an observation wheel by its operators. The Singapore Flyer ( Chinese: 新加坡摩天观景轮 Tamil:சிங்கப்பூர் ஃப்ளையர் Malay: Singapura fill ^[4]

The London Eye (world's tallest, 1999-2006) is also described as an observation wheel by its operators. The London Eye, also known as the Millennium Wheel, is the tallest (its height is) Ferris wheel in Europe, and has become the most popular paid tourist ^[5]

The Star of Nanchang (world's tallest, 2006-2008) is usually referred to as a Ferris wheel, and less commonly as an observation wheel. The Star of Nanchang, formerly the world's tallest operating Ferris wheel, stands at 160 meters (525 feet high and is located in the eastern Chinese city of Nanchang

World's tallest Ferris wheel installations

The 165 m Singapore Flyer, world's tallest Ferris wheel

The world's tallest Ferris wheel is the Singapore Flyer, in Singapore. The Singapore Flyer ( Chinese: 新加坡摩天观景轮 Tamil:சிங்கப்பூர் ஃப்ளையர் Malay: Singapura fill Singapore It is 165 metres (541 ft) high. The metre or meter is a unit of Length. It is the basic unit of Length in the Metric system and in the International A foot (plural feet or foot; symbol or abbreviation ft or sometimes &prime – the prime symbol) is a non-SI unit It started rotating on February 11, 2008, and officially opened to the public on March 1, 2008. Events 660 BC - Traditional founding date of Japan by Emperor Jimmu. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 86 BC - Lucius Cornelius Sulla, at the head of a Roman Republic army enters in Athens, removing the Tyrant 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common

The Star of Nanchang, in Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, China, previously held the record. Nanchang ( is the capital of Jiangxi Province in southeastern China. ( Postal map spelling: Kiangsi is a southern province of the People's Republic of China, spanning from the banks of the Yangtze River China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National It is 160 metres (520 ft) high and opened for business in May 2006. May 2006 was a month with thirty-one days The following events also occurred during the month

The preceding record holder was the London Eye, in London, UK. The London Eye, also known as the Millennium Wheel, is the tallest (its height is) Ferris wheel in Europe, and has become the most popular paid tourist The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located It is 135 metres (440 ft) high, and is still the largest in the Western Hemisphere. The Western Hemisphere, also Western hemisphere or western hemisphere, is a geographical term for the half of the Earth that lies West ^[6] It was officially opened (by Tony Blair) on December 31, 1999, but did not open to the public until March 2000 because of technical problems. Anthony Charles Lynton "Tony" Blair (born 6 May 1953 is a British Politician who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to Events 406 – Vandals, Alans and Suebians cross the Rhine, beginning an invasion of Gallia. Year 1999 ( MCMXCIX) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1999 Gregorian calendar) March 2000: January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September

The great popularity of the London Eye led to a number of other cities (including Belfast, Birmingham, Kuala Lumpur, Las Vegas, Manchester, Melbourne, Moscow, Nanchang, Shanghai, Singapore, and York) installing, or proposing to install, very tall (50 m or higher) wheels. Belfast ( is the capital city of Northern Ireland and the seat of government in Northern Ireland. Birmingham ( ˈbɜːmɪŋəm Ber -ming-um Kuala Lumpur (ˈkwɑːləlʊmˈpʊər Malay /kwɑlɑlʊmpʊ/ and locally /kwɑləlʊmpɔ/ or even /kɔlɔmpɔ/ or often abbreviated as K Las Vegas ( Spanish: "The Meadows" is the most populous City in the state of Nevada, the seat of Clark County, and an internationally Melbourne ( is the second most populous city in Australia, with a Metropolitan area population of approximately 3 Moscow (Москва́ romanised: Moskvá, IPA: see also other names) is the Capital and the largest city of Shanghai ( 上[[wikt 海|海]] is the largest city in China in terms of population and one of the largest urban areas in the world with over 20 million York ( is an historic Walled city sited at the confluence of the rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. The proposed Birmingham wheel would perhaps be the most unusual, as it would be fixed in place while the pods would move around the circumference along a rail track.

The Shanghai Star, initially planned as a 200 metres (660 ft) tall wheel to be built by 2005, was revised to 170 metres (560 ft) with a completion date set in 2007, but then cancelled in 2006 due to "political incorrectness"^[7]. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Plans to build a 183 metres (600 ft) wheel at the Rio All Suite Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas were cancelled in May 2004. The Rio All Suite Hotel and Casino is located off the Las Vegas Strip in Clark County, Nevada, USA. The Las Vegas Strip (also known as The Strip) is an approximately 4 mile (6 An approximately 150 metres (490 ft) wheel was proposed for the redevelopment of the New Frontier Hotel and Casino (also in Las Vegas) but the site has since been sold to another developer. The New Frontier was a Hotel and Casino located on the famed Las Vegas Strip in Paradise Nevada, USA, that had operated continuously

More Ferris wheels and manufacturers

• The Great Wheel Corporation
  • Proposed wheel in Qingdao, China
  • Proposed wheel in Orlando
• The Allan Herschell Company
  • Seattle Wheel - has 15 cars with up to two people per car. Navy Pier is a long Pier on the Chicago shoreline of Lake Michigan. Great Wheel Corporation is a company engaged in the development building financing and operation of observation platforms and observation wheels (Ferris wheels. China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National Orlando is a major City in central Florida, USA and is the County seat of Orange County Florida. The The Allan Herschell Company was a company that specialized in the creation of Amusement rides particularly Carousels and Roller coasters Surviving
• Eli Bridge [3]
  • Eagle Wheel - 16 cars with up to three people per car.
  • Hy #5 Big Eli Wheel - some are cable driven, others are rim driven. Has 12 cars with up to three people per car.
  • Little Wheel - much smaller in dimensions, but it still has 12 cars with up to two people per car.
• Ronald Bussink Professional Rides (formerly Nauta Bussink) [4]
  • R60 - 60 meter wheel with 42 enclosed capsules with air conditioning. The largest transportable Ferris wheel in the world. Seen in Germany (Dresden), Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur), Spain (Seville), UK (Belfast, Birmingham, London, Manchester, York) and elsewhere. Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. Dresden (etymologically from Old Sorbian Drežďany, meaning people of the riverside forest, Drježdźany is the Capital city of the German For the biogeographical region see Malesia Malaysia (məˈleɪʒə or /məˈleɪziə/ is a country that consists of thirteen states and Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Seville ( Spanish: Sevilla, see also different names) is the artistic cultural and financial capital of southern Spain. It requires at least twenty 40ft containers to transport it and is ballasted with water.
• Chance Morgan
  • Astro Wheel - 16 cars (8 facing one way, 8 facing the other way) with up to two people per car. Chance Morgan, a Roller coaster and Amusement ride manufacturer was formed in 2001 with the merger of Chance Industries (a ride manufacturer and D
  • Century Wheel - 15 cars with up to four people per car.
  • Giant Wheel - 20 cars with up to six people per car. This is one of the biggest production Ferris wheels, and requires at least two 18-wheelers to transport it.
  • Sky Wheel - a double wheel. There is a wheel on top, and bottom of the ride. There are eight cars per each wheel with up to two people for each car.
• Intamin AG
  • Coaster Wheel - this type of Ferris wheel is a little different. Intamin AG is a designing and manufacturing company in Wollerau, Switzerland. The Sun Wheel was the name for the Ferris wheel with 488 meters diameter at Disney's California Adventure Park at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim Some of the 16 cars move on a track in the middle of the wheel. There are also 8 cars on the outside of the ride that do not move much, and do not have a track. One of these is located at Disney's California Adventure, and another is located at Coney Island. Each car can hold up to six people.
• Roger Wadkins (formerly Bob Childress - Expo Wheels LLC)
  • Expo Wheel - 16 cars with up to two people per car. The seating on this wheel is much like the Eli Bridge Hy #5, or Chance's Astro Wheel.

Ferris wheels in popular culture

• The hero of Robert Lawson's children's book The Great Wheel is part of the construction crew for the original ferris wheel. Robert Lawson may refer to Robert Lawson (Virginia (d 1805 American Revolutionary War militia general Robert Lawson (British Army officer
• The TV show Carnivàle deals with a circus in 1930's, which has its Ferris wheel as an important symbol, which plays an important role in the series finale. Carnivàle ( is an American Television series set in the United States during the Great Depression.
• The main character from Stargate: Atlantis, John Sheppard, likes Ferris wheels. Stargate Atlantis (often abbreviated as SGA) is an American - Canadian Science fiction Television program, part of the
• The Ferris wheel Riesenrad (in Vienna, Austria) is the stage for a key scene in the 1949 film noir The Third Man. Vienna ( in Wien; see also other names) is the Capital of Austria, and is also one of the nine States of Austria. Austria (Österreich ( officially the Republic of Austria (Republik Österreich Year 1949 ( MCMXLIX) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Film noir is a cinematic term used primarily to describe stylish Hollywood crime dramas, particularly those that emphasize moral ambiguity and sexual motivation The Third Man ( is an award-winning British Film noir directed by Carol Reed and starring Joseph Cotten, Alida Valli, It is also featured in the 1987 James Bond film, The Living Daylights, and appears in the 1995 Richard Linklater film Before Sunrise. Year 1987 ( MCMLXXXVII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link displays 1987 Gregorian calendar) James Bond 007 is a Fictional character created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve Novels and two Short story The Living Daylights, released in 1987 is the fifteenth Spy film of the James Bond series, and the first to star Timothy Dalton Year 1995 ( MCMXCV) was a Common year starting on Sunday. Events of 1995 Richard Stuart Linklater (born July 30, 1960) is an Academy Award -nominated American Film director and Screenwriter Before Sunrise is a 1995 Drama film directed by Richard Linklater and written by Linklater and Kim Krizan.

References

1. ^ Erik Larson. This page is about the non-fiction author For the comic book writer see Erik Larsen; for the Disney animator see Eric Larson. (2003) The Devil in the White City, page 258. The Devil in the White City Murder Magic and Madness at the Fair that Changed America ( Random House, ISBN 9780375725609 is a 2003 Non-fiction
2. ^ Joe McKennon (1972) A Pictorial History of the American Carnival, page 39.
3. ^ http://www.hydeparkhistory.org/ferrisfollowup.html
4. ^ [1] "We don't use the F-word"
5. ^ [2] "Is it a Ferris wheel?"
6. ^ LeRoy Ashby, "Review of Ferris Whels: An Illustrated History," The Historian 69. 3 (Fall, 2007): 603–604.
7. ^ http://www.atimes.com/atimes/China_Business/IF13Cb02.html
8. ^ http://www.senyo.co.jp/produ/cosmo21.htm
9. ^ "Great Wheel, Earls Court CC97/01620".
10. ^ http://navypier.com/things2do/rides_attract/pier_park.html

External links

• Bellevue Ferris wheel at Luxembourg Schueberfouer
• Big-Money Race for World's Tallest Ferris Wheels Heats Up
• Ferris wheel patents