Navy Pier and Pacific Park on the Santa Monica Pier Celebrate the 125th Anniversary of the Ferris Wheel on June 21
More than 2,000 miles may separate them, but Chicago’s Navy Pier and Santa Monica Pier are coming together to celebrate the 125th anniversary of the iconic invention that connects them: The Ferris wheel. Designed and constructed by George Washington Gale Ferris Jr. for the World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago, the Ferris wheel rolled onto the scene with a grand opening on June 21, 1893.
One hundred and twenty-five years later, Chicago, home of the original Ferris wheel, and Santa Monica, home of the world’s only solar-powered Ferris wheel, have teamed up to honor the ingenuity and foresight of the late George Washington Gale Ferris Jr.’s creation with a day filled with free wheel rides, brilliant light shows, live entertainment, special appearances by Ferris family members and tributes to other popular products that debuted at the World’s Fair. See below for the schedule:
| Navy Pier – Centennial Wheel
(Central Standard Time) |
Pacific Park on the Santa Monica Pier – Pacific Wheel
(Pacific Standard Time) |
| 10 a.m. – 10 p.m. | Free Centennial Wheel rides for the first 1,893 registered guests. Those interested in taking advantage of the free ride offer must RSVP online in advance and present their free reservation ticket at the Pier Park Box Office. A limited amount of free tickets are available to guests on a first-come, first-served basis. A free commemorative 125th anniversary pressed penny is included with the free ride. | 10 a.m. – 8 p.m. | Free Pacific Wheel rides for the first 1,893 guests to RSVP at https://pacpark.com/125. Quantities are limited. RSVP early and bring the printed confirmation to the ticket window next to the Pacific Wheel to redeem for a free ride. All other riders may purchase a ticket that day or use an Unlimited Ride Wristband. A free commemorative 125thanniversary pressed penny is included with the free ride.
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| 1:25 p.m. | Brief program, featuring remarks from Navy Pier President and CEO Marilynn Gardner and Jim Ferris, relative of George Washington Gale Ferris Jr.
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11:25 p.m. | Brief program, featuring remarks from Pacific Park on the Santa Monica Pier Representative, Santa Monica Pier Historian and possibly a Ferris family member. |
| 1:30 p.m. | Dance performance by Mandala South Asian Performing Arts, recreating the performances from the 1893 World’s Fair.
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11:30 p.m. | A salute to various popular products that debuted during the 1893 World’s Fair, including the Penny Press, among others. |
| 2 p.m. | Ferris family rides in the VIP gondola of the Centennial Wheel. | 12 p.m. | Possible Ferris family rides in the VIP gondola of the Pacific Wheel. |
George Washington Gale Ferris Jr.’s 1893 engineering feat was America’s answer to the recently completed Eiffel Tower in Paris. The original Ferris wheel was 264 feet tall and was illuminated by 2,500 Edison incandescent lamps. In addition to the iconic Ferris wheel, the World’s Columbian Exposition featured several new products to enter American folklore, including the elongated penny, now produced by The Penny Men and offered in more than 2,200 Penny Press machines at locations all across the globe, including Navy Pier and Santa Monica Pier. In 2018, more than 30 million people will use Penny Press machines to create a unique and personal keepsake.
The Penny Press and the original Ferris wheel’s legacy have lived on for 125 years, and the Ferris wheel is now one of the world’s most beloved attractions. Navy Pier’s Centennial Wheel and Pacific Park on the Santa Monica Pier’s Pacific Wheel are proudly leading the anniversary celebration of these incredible inventions.
“The Ferris wheel holds a special place in the hearts of Chicagoans and serves as a beloved icon for our city,” said Navy Pier President and CEO Marilynn Gardner. “Navy Pier is proud to continue honoring the legacy and longstanding history of this treasured attraction in its birthplace, especially as it approaches a major milestone. We could not think of a better way to commemorate the occasion than by teaming up with Santa Monica Pier to pay tribute to the engineering marvel that connects our two piers and has long been a part of the brand and identity of both destinations.”
Ferris’ original wheel inspired Chicago’s Navy Pier Ferris wheel when it opened on July 1, 1995. In 2016, the Centennial Wheel debuted in honor of Navy Pier’s 100th anniversary and took its place in the iconic skyline as a treasured part of the city’s culture and history. Soaring to heights of nearly 200 feet (50 feet higher than its predecessor), the Centennial Wheel offers guests unparalleled, 360-degree views of Chicago and Lake Michigan. The enclosed, climate-controlled gondolas – an enhanced feature of the Pier’s new wheel – provide a comfortable and enjoyable ride experience year round.
“From Chicago to Santa Monica, that’s also connected by Route 66, there’s no better way to enjoy a view of the cities once you arrive than from atop of a Ferris wheel,” said Marketing and Business Development Manager at Pacific Park on the Santa Monica Pier Nathan Smithson. “Pacific Park is home to the world’s only solar-powered Ferris wheel, and we are thrilled to be able to share the 125th anniversary of the Ferris wheel with our friends at Navy Pier, the Ferris families and all Ferris wheel enthusiasts.”
The nine-story tall Pacific Wheel Ferris wheel first debuted in May 1996 with the opening of Pacific Park on the Santa Monica Pier and was adapted as the world’s first solar-powered Ferris wheel in November 1998. The Pacific Wheel offers guests incomparable views of the Santa Monica coastline, Catalina Island, Malibu and Palos Verdes Peninsula. Standing 130 feet above the Pacific Ocean, the Pacific Wheel’s 174,000 LED lights are mounted on the Ferris wheel’s structure including the 40 spokes and two hubs. The world’s only solar-powered Ferris wheel’s lighting system features 16.7 million color value combinations while the programming and display software presents imaging up to 24 frames per second to display dynamic, custom, computer-generated lighting entertainment. The eco-friendly, enhanced LED lighting provides 81 percent greater energy savings than most Ferris wheel’s traditional incandescent bulbs.
Visit www.navypier.org for more information about Navy Pier and www.pacpark.com for more information on Pacific Park on the Santa Monica Pier.
About Navy Pier
Located on Lake Michigan, Navy Pier is one of the top-attended nonprofit cultural destinations in the Midwest, stretching more than six city blocks and welcoming more than 9 million guests annually. Originally opened in 1916 as a shipping and recreation facility, this Chicago landmark showcases more than 50 acres of parks, restaurants, attractions, retail shops, sightseeing and dining cruise boats, exposition facilities and more. In 2018, Navy Pier continues to usher in its second century with ongoing pier-wide redevelopment efforts – including theFifth Third Bank Family Pavilion, Peoples Energy Welcome Pavilion, 220-room hotel and more – in addition to free, year-round arts and cultural programming designed to inspire, educate and connect communities across the city and globe. For more information, visit www.navypier.org or download the free Navy Pier app for Android and iOS device users.
About Pacific Park on the Santa Monica Pier
Pacific Park on the Santa Monica Pier, LA’s only admission free amusement park, offers 12 amusement rides, 14 midway games, an oceanfront food plaza and retail beach shops. In addition to the world’s only solar-powered Ferris wheel, the Pacific Wheel, Pacific Park’s signature rides include The West Coaster, a steel roller coaster that races 55 feet above the Santa Monica Bay; and Inkie’s Air Lift Balloon Ride, the high-flying, family-sharing kids’ ride. For additional information and hours of operation, call 310-260-8744, visit www.pacpark.com, follow on Twitter: @pacpark and Like at Facebook: facebook.com/pacificpark.
About The Penny Men
The Penny Men, a division of the CTM Group, Inc., is the leading provider of the iconic Penny Press souvenir machines, based on the elongated penny that debuted at the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago, and now offer over 2,200 machines placed all over the world. In 2018 more than 30 million people will use the machines to create a unique and personal keepsake. Their experience of building Penny Press Machines began almost 100 years ago as a family business. They have a proven track record of building the most efficient, dependable and profitable souvenir machines in the industry. Their machines are “Green,” with no electricity required and they are manufactured with over 90 percent recycled materials from sustainable resources. They are proud to work with the most successful attractions and brand names around United States and Europe. For more information on The Penny Men, please call 1-866-766-7166 or visit www.pennymen.com.