Millcreek Township near Erie in Erie County, Pennsylvania — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Giant Gondola Wheel
Photographed By Anton Schwarzmueller, August 23, 2017
1. Giant Gondola Wheel Marker
George Washington Ferris
and his giant Ferris Wheel
In 1892 a bridge building engineer named George Washington Ferris had an idea for the upcoming Chicago Columbian Exposition...a giant observation wheel that would carry passengers high above the city and bring them smoothly back down. It took five trains, each thirty cars long, to bring the materials to Chicago. After months of construction, the huge undertaking was completed on time. And, during the 19-week Exposition the wheel ran 15 hours a day. Nearly 1.5 million people rode Mr. Ferris' giant wheel.
The Giant Gondola Wheel you are about to ride was manufactured by Chance Rides, Inc. in Wichita, Kansas, and is the largest open gondola wheel manufactured in America since Mr. Ferris built the original in 1893. It is the largest trailer-mounted gondola wheel in the world, and can be erected without the use of cranes in one working day.
Facts about this Giant Gondola Wheel:
Height: 27 meters, nearly 100 feet tall
Weight: Over 100 tons
Capacity: 120 adult passengers or 160 children
Power: Eight 7.5HP variable speed electric motors
Lighting: The wheel is illuminated by 6,000 10-watt incandescent light bulbs controlled by a computer to produce spectacular lighting effects.
Erected by
this page online
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Entertainment. A significant historical year for this entry is 1892.
Location. 42° 6.547′ N, 80° 9.384′ W. Marker is near Erie, Pennsylvania, in Erie County. It is in Millcreek Township. Marker can be reached from Penninsula Drive (Pennsylvania Route 832) half a mile north of West 6th Street. Marker is in Waldameer Park, which is currently admission-free. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Erie PA 16505, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 3 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. The Bell Tower and Carillon (approx. half a mile away); A Walk in the Park (approx. 1.1 miles away); The Barracks (approx. 1.2 miles away); A Partnership Is Born (approx. 1.2 miles away); Leo's Landing (approx. 1.3 miles away); Erie (approx. 1˝ miles away); The Old Road (approx. 2.3 miles away); Presque Isle (approx. 2˝ miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Erie.
Also see . . . Waldameer Park. (Submitted on August 30, 2017, by Anton Schwarzmueller of Wilson, New York.)
Photographed By Anton Schwarzmueller, August 23, 2017
2. Giant Gondola Wheel & Marker
Photographed By Anton Schwarzmueller, August 23, 2017
3. Giant Gondola Wheel
Credits. This page was last revised on October 4, 2023. It was originally submitted on August 30, 2017, by Anton Schwarzmueller of Wilson, New York. This page has been viewed 333 times since then and 13 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on August 30, 2017, by Anton Schwarzmueller of Wilson, New York.
