A Ferris wheel on the boardwalk in Ocean City, New Jersey, USA.

A Ferris wheel (or, more commonly in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland [UK], big wheel) is a nonbuilding structure consisting of an upright wheel with passenger gondolas suspended from the rim. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (3872x2592, 4416 KB) Please note: This image was originally uploaded to commons licensed as noted below, per the uploader. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (3872x2592, 4416 KB) Please note: This image was originally uploaded to commons licensed as noted below, per the uploader. ... Ocean City is the name of some places in the United States of America: Ocean City, Florida Ocean City, Maryland and West Ocean City, Maryland Ocean City, New Jersey This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Nonbuilding structures, also referred to simply as structures, are those not designed for continuous human occupancy. ...

Ferris wheels are a common type of amusement park ride and may also be found at urban parks and public places. Ferris wheels usually hold about 50-100 people. Flying Scooter ride at Kings Island, Ohio An assortment of rides at the Royal Melbourne Show Rollercoaster FX in MoviePark Germany An Enterprise Amusement ride in Oaks Park in Portland, Oregon Breakdance Ride, Royal Melbourne Show 2005 Dodgem Cars, Royal Melbourne Show 2005 An amusement ride is any number... A Central Park landscape An urban park, also known as a municipal park, is a park that is built in cities mostly to reduce air pollution and as a place to relax. ...

History

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

Original Ferris wheel

The Ferris wheel is named after Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute graduate and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania bridge-builder, George Washington Gale Ferris, Jr.. 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. image of early ferris wheel, drawn by me after a 17th Century engraving File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... image of early ferris wheel, drawn by me after a 17th Century engraving File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, or RPI, is a nonsectarian, coeducational private research university in Troy, New York, a city lying just outside the state capital of Albany. ... George Washington Gale Ferris, Jr. ...

Ferris designed and built the first 264 foot (80 meter) wheel for the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago, Illinois in 1893. The wheel was designed as a rival to the Eiffel Tower, the centerpiece of the 1889 Paris exhibition. 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 each the size of a school bus that accommodated 60 people each (20 seated, 40 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 1904 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] One-third scale replica of Daniel Chester Frenchs Republic, which stood in the great basin at the exposition, Chicago, 2004 The Worlds Columbian Exposition (also called The Chicago Worlds Fair), a Worlds Fair, was held in Chicago in 1893, to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Christopher... Flag Seal Nickname: The Windy City Motto: Urbs In Horto (Latin: City in a Garden), I Will Location Location in Chicagoland and northern Illinois Coordinates , Government Country State Counties United States Illinois Cook, DuPage Mayor Richard M. Daley (D) Geographical characteristics Area     City 606. ... The Eiffel Tower (French: , ) is an iron tower built on the Champ de Mars beside the River Seine in Paris. ... (Redirected from 1889 Paris exhibition) The Exposition Universelle of 1889 was a Worlds Fair held in Paris, France from May 5, to October 31, 1889. ...

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 famous 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. It was designed by Hubert Cecil Booth. See also World's Fair... Ferris wheel at a fair in Yate, Bristol, England. ... Ferris wheel at a fair in Yate, Bristol, England. ... 1897 (MDCCCXCVII) was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... The Riesenrad, seen from the outside of the Prater The Riesenrad (meaning giant wheel) is a Ferris wheel at the entrance of the Prater amusement park in Vienna, Austria. ... For other uses, see Vienna (disambiguation). ... The Wiener Prater is a large public park in Viennas second district. ... Haidgasse in Leopoldstadt The Volksprater amusement park in the Wiener Prater The Hauptallee in the Prater Leopoldstadt (Leopold-Town) is Viennas second district. ... Hubert Cecil Booth was born in Gloucester, England on the 4th of July 1871 and died at Purley, Surrey, England on the 18th of January 1955. ... 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. This wheel stayed in service until 1906 by which time it had carried over 2.5 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 world-wide. This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... Earls Court is a place in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. ... Year 1895 (MDCCCXCV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Sunday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ... 1906 (MCMVI) was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ...

For the 1900 Paris Exposition a 'Grande Roue', of similar size and design to Ferris', was constructed and kept in operation until its demolition in 1937. The French wheel operated 40 cars (as opposed to Chicago's 36), and is clearly visible in photos of the 1900 exhibition. [1] The Exposition Universelle of 1900 was a worlds fair held in Paris, France, to celebrate the achievements of the past century and to accelerate development into the next. ...

The London Eye, in London, England, measuring 135 meters high, had until very recently been the world's largest, but has since been eclipsed by the The Star of Nanchang [2]. Located in the Chinese city of Nanchang , Jiangxi Province , this new Ferris wheel measures 162 meters high. The London Eye remains the largest in the Western Hemisphere.^[2] The London Eye is, as of December 2003, the largest observation wheel in the world (though often erroneously called a Ferris wheel). ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... The Star of Nanchang, the worlds tallest ferris wheel, stands at 160 meters high and is located in the eastern Chinese city of Nanchang, the provincial capital of Jiangxi Province. ... Nanchang (Chinese: 南昌; Hanyu Pinyin: ) is the capital of Jiangxi Province in southeastern China. ... Jiangxi (Chinese: 江西; Hanyu Pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: Chiang-hsi; Postal System Pinyin: Kiangsi) is a southern province of the Peoples Republic of China, spanning from the banks of the Yangtze River in the north into hillier areas in the south. ... The geographical western hemisphere of Earth, highlighted in yellow. ...

Observation wheels

The London Eye

Main article: Observation wheel

Recent large Ferris wheels have been marketed as "observation" wheels to differentiate them from the smaller Ferris wheels, but ironically are more similar to the original Ferris wheel than the smaller modern wheels. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2100x1400, 1282 KB) Summary This photo is of the London Eye on the 7th of April 2006 as viewed from the rear. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2100x1400, 1282 KB) Summary This photo is of the London Eye on the 7th of April 2006 as viewed from the rear. ... Singapore Flyer (under construction) The British Airways London Eye observation wheel on the banks of the River Thames near the Houses of Parliament, London, England Five capsules of the London Eye observation wheel. ...

The London Eye is in London, England. Its great popularity has led to a number of other cities, including Manchester, Birmingham and York (The Yorkshire Wheel), Moscow,Belfast, Nanchang, Las Vegas, Shanghai, Melbourne, Kuala Lumpur and Singapore erecting, or proposing to erect, similar wheels. The London Eye, also known as the Millennium Wheel, is an observation wheel that completed construction in 1999 and opened to the public in March, 2000. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... This article is about the City of Manchester in England. ... This article is about the British city. ... York shown within England Coordinates: , Sovereign state Constituent country Region Yorkshire and the Humber Ceremonial county North Yorkshire Admin HQ York City Centre Founded 71 City Status 71 Government  - Type Unitary Authority, City  - Governing body City of York Council  - Leadership: Leader & Executive  - Executive: Liberal Democrat  - MPs: Hugh Bayley (L) John... The current version of the article or section reads like an advertisement. ... For other uses, see Moscow (disambiguation). ... This article is about the city in Northern Ireland. ... Nanchang (Chinese: 南昌; Hanyu Pinyin: ) is the capital of Jiangxi Province in southeastern China. ... For further information, see Las Vegas metropolitan area and Las Vegas Strip. ... For other uses, see Shanghai (disambiguation). ... This article is about the Australian city; the name may also refer to City of Melbourne or Melbourne city centre. ... Nickname: Motto: Maju dan makmur (English: Progress and Prosper) Location in Malaysia Coordinates: , Country State Establishment 1857 Granted city status 1974 Government  - Mayor (Datuk Bandar) Datuk Abdul Hakim Borhan From 14 December 2006 Area  - City 243. ...

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. A replica of this Ferris wheel can be found in Disney's California Adventure theme park.

In the mid to late 1970s, coaster company Intamin AG invented a new twist on the common Ferris wheel. 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. 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. ferris wheel graphic File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... ferris wheel graphic File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... For other uses, see Coney Island (disambiguation). ... Disneys California Adventure is a theme park in Anaheim, California, adjacent to Disneyland Park and part of the larger Disneyland Resort. ... Theme Park is a simulation computer game designed by Bullfrog Productions, released in 1994, in which the player designs and operates an amusement park. ... Expedition GeForce Intamin AG is a designing and manufacturing company in Wollerau, Switzerland. ... Sky Whirl was an Intiman Triple Giant Ferris Wheel that operated at both Marriotts Great America Parks. ...

A two-arm version titled "Zodiac" was also installed at Kings Island in Ohio as well as Hersheypark in PA titled "Giant Wheel." 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. Kings Island is a 364 acre (1. ...

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 CA 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.

Today, none of them operate in the US.

More Ferris wheels and manufacturers

• Allan Herschell
  • Seattle Wheel--The Seattle Wheel has 15 cars with up to two people per car.
• Ronald Bussink Professional Rides
  • R60 - 60 meter wheel with 42 enclosed capsules with air conditioning. The largest transportable Ferris wheel in the world. Seen in Birmingham, Manchester, York, Seville, Dresden, Malaysia, Niagara Falls and elsewhere. It requires at least twenty 40ft containers to transport it and is ballasted with water.
• Chance Morgan
  • Astro Wheel--There are 16 cars with up to two people per car. Half of the cars face one way, and the other half the other way.
  • Century Wheel--This Ferris wheel has 15 cars with up to four people per car.
  • Giant Wheel--This ride has 20 cars with up to six people per each car. This is one of the biggest production Ferris wheels, and requires at least two 18-wheelers to transport it.
  • Sky Wheel--This Ferris wheel is 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.
• Childress
  • Expo Wheel There are 16 cars with up to two people each per car. The seating on this wheel is much like the Eli Bridge Hy #5, or Chance's Astro Wheel.
• Eli Bridge [3]
  • Eagle Wheel--This ride has 16 cars with up to three people per car.
  • Hy #5 Big Eli Wheel--Some of these rides are cable driven while others are rim driven. This ride has 12 cars with up to three people per car.
  • Little Wheel--This ride is much smaller in dimensions, but it still has 12 cars with up to two people per car.
• Intamin
  • Coaster Wheel--This type of Ferris wheel is a little different. 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 of these cars can hold up to six people.

The Sun Wheel at night as seen from across Paradise Bay. ... Disneys California Adventure is a theme park in Anaheim, California, adjacent to Disneyland Park and part of the larger Disneyland Resort. ...

List of world's largest Ferris and observation wheels

Peking redirects here. ... The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, will be celebrated from August 8, 2008 to August 24, 2008, with the opening ceremony commencing at 08:08:08 pm at the Beijing National Stadium in Beijing, Peoples Republic of China. ... The Singapore Flyer (Chinese: 新加坡摩天观景轮) is an observation wheel to be built in Singapore by 2008. ... The Star of Nanchang, the worlds tallest ferris wheel, stands at 160 meters high and is located in the eastern Chinese city of Nanchang, the provincial capital of Jiangxi Province. ... The London Eye, also known as the Millennium Wheel, is an observation wheel that completed construction in 1999 and opened to the public in March, 2000. ... Sky Dream at Night At 112 meters in diameter and 120 meters in height, Sky Dream Fukuoka, the giant Ferris wheel of Evergreen Marinoa (a fairly large Japanese outlet mall), dominates the harbor of Fukuoka, Japans western skyline. ... HEP Five is a major shopping mall and entertainment center in the Umeda commercial district in Osaka, Japan. ... Tempozan Harbor Village Ferris wheel in Osaka, Japan With the height of 112. ... Ferris Wheel of Paris was a 100 metre Ferris Wheel, which was built in 1900 for the world exhibition at Paris. ... This page meets Wikipedias criteria for speedy deletion. ... Fair Park is a 277 acre (112 hectare) recreational and educational complex located in Dallas, Texas (USA). ... The Riesenrad, seen from the outside of the Prater The Riesenrad (meaning giant wheel) is a Ferris wheel at the entrance of the Prater amusement park in Vienna, Austria. ... The Eye on Malaysia a day before the launch of Visit Malaysia Year. ... The second Birmingham Wheel The Wheel of Birmingham, generally known as the Birmingham Wheel was a 60m ferris wheel in Centenary Square, Birmingham, England, owned by World Tourist Attractions Ltd. ... Roue De Paris in Geleen The Roue De Paris is a giant transportable ferris wheel, originally installed in Paris for the 2000 millennium celebrations. ... Steiger-60-metres Ferris Wheel is the largest transportable ferris wheel of the world. ... Clifton Hill is a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. ... This article is about Darien Lake Theme Park Resort. ... The 1982 Worlds Fair logo. ... Alternate uses: Knoxville (disambiguation) Knoxville is a city located in Knox County, Tennessee, United States. ... Spencer Avenue pier as seen from the boardwalk, with the Great White roller coaster on the end. ...

References

1. ^ Erik Larson. (2003) The Devil in the White City, page 258.
2. ^ LeRoy Ashby, "Review of Ferris Whels: An Illustrated History," The Historian 69.3 (Fall, 2007): 603-604.

northern ireland Erik Larson (born January 1, 1954) is an American author. ... The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic and Madness at the Fair that Changed America is a 2003 book by Erik Larson. ...

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Ferris wheel

• Eye On Malaysia
• Singapore Flyer
• Ferris wheel patents
• Bellevue Ferris wheel at Luxembourg Schueberfouer
• Information about a triple wheel, Sky Whirl
• The Yorkshire Wheel A 54m observation wheel at the National Railway Museum, York, England.
• London Eye homepage
• Niagara SkyWheel homepage
• Manchester City Council Wheel of Manchester page
• World's tallest Ferris wheel - The Star of Nanchang
• A video of Eli bridge Erecting a Ferris wheel in 1949

Image File history File links Commons-logo. ...

Ride Manufacturer Sites

• Chance Morgan
• Eli Bridge
• Intamin