Seattle Great Wheel

The Seattle Great Wheel is a giant Ferris wheel at Pier 57 on Elliott Bay in Seattle, Washington. At an overall height of 175 feet (53.3 m), it was the tallest Ferris wheel on the West Coast of the United States when it opened in June 2012.[2][6]

Seattle Great Wheel
Seattle Great Wheel in 2017
Location within downtown Seattle
General information
TypeFerris wheel
Location1301 Alaskan Way
Seattle, Washington, U.S.
Coordinates47.6061°N 122.3425°W / 47.6061; -122.3425
Construction startedApril 17, 2012[1]
OpenedJune 29, 2012[2]
Cost$20 million[3]
OwnerGreat Western Pacific[4]
Height175 feet (53.3 m)[2]
Design and construction
Structural engineerChance Rides[5] GeoEngineers, B&T Design and Engineering
Main contractorManson Construction Co.
Website
seattlegreatwheel.com

Opening day

The inauguration ceremony and opening to the public took place on June 29, 2012. Participants in the ceremony, which commenced at 2:30 p.m., included the U.S. Coast Guard with a presentation of colors, Seattle mayor Michael McGinn who delivered a speech, and the University of Washington cheerleaders, spirit team, and marching band who provided entertainment.[7] Approximately 200 people lined up for the first ride on the wheel.[2]

Construction and design
Further information: Pier 57 (Seattle)

Seattle was the third city in North America to offer a wheel of this design,[6] following the Niagara SkyWheel at Clifton Hill, Niagara Falls, Canada (which is also 175 feet (53.3 m) tall), and the larger Myrtle Beach SkyWheel in South Carolina, which stands 187 feet (57.0 m) tall. The Seattle wheel is the only one of the three to be built over water.[6]

The Seattle Great Wheel has 42 climate-controlled gondolas, each able to carry up to eight passengers (except the luxury VIP gondola, which had red leather seats and a glass floor, and seats four),[4] giving a maximum capacity of 332.[8] The 12-minute, three-revolution ride extends 40 feet (12.2 m) out over Elliott Bay.[2][9][10]

Long exposure photo of Great Wheel lights at night
Seattle skyline and Great Wheel near twilight

References
  1. "Seattle: What's New?". visitseattle.org. Retrieved 4 July 2012.
  2. Sullivan, Jennifer (June 29, 2012). "The Seattle Great Wheel opens to a big crowd". The Seattle Times. Retrieved 2012-07-02.
  3. Nolasco, Joanna (June 1, 2012). "Structures: 170,000-pound wheel on the pier? That's a tall order!". Puget Sound Business Journal. Retrieved 2012-07-02.
  4. Laura L. Myers (June 29, 2012). "Seattle's new landmark Great Wheel opening on waterfront". Chicago Tribune. Reuters. Retrieved 2012-07-02.
  5. Levesque, John (June 2012). "Recreation: Big Wheel". Seattle Business Magazine. Retrieved 2012-06-30.
  6. Kugiya, Hugo (June 29, 2012). "What 'Seattle process'? Big wheel turns up fast". Puget Sound Business Journal. Retrieved 2012-07-02.
  7. "Grand opening of Seattle's Great Wheel". seattlepi.com. June 29, 2012. Retrieved 2012-06-30.
  8. "Seattle Great Wheel". Seattle Great Wheel. September 1, 2013. Retrieved 2013-09-01.
  9. "Seattle's Great Wheel opening pushed back to June 29". KING-TV. June 20, 2012. Retrieved 2012-06-30.
  10. "Seattle Great Wheel".
  11. "PlayStation's The Last of Us Part II features a post-pandemic Seattle | Venture". dailyhive.com. Retrieved 2020-07-10.
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