The Seattle Great Wheel is a 53-meter tall giant Ferris wheel at Pier 57 on Elliott Bay in Seattle, Washington, United States. 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 | |
| Type | Ferris wheel |
| Address | 1301 Alaskan Way Seattle, Washington 98101 |
| Coordinates | 47°36′22″N 122°20′33″W / 47.6061°N 122.3425°W |
| Construction started | April 17, 2012[1] |
| Opened | June 29, 2012[2] |
| Cost | $20 million[3] |
| Owner | Great Western Pacific[4][better source needed] |
| Height | 175 feet (53.3 m)[2] |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect(s) | Jackson | Main Architecture, P.S. |
| Architecture firm | https://www.jacksonmain.com/ |
| Structural engineer | Chance Rides[5] GeoEngineers, B&T Design and Engineering[citation needed] |
| Main contractor | Manson Construction Co.[citation needed] |
| Website | |
| seattlegreatwheel | |
| References | |
| https://www.readgeo.com/geostrata/october_november_2021/MobilePagedArticle.action?articleId=1730114#articleId1730114 | |
Opening day
editThe 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
editSeattle 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]
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Long exposure photo of Great Wheel lights at night -
Seattle skyline and Great Wheel near twilight
In popular culture
edit- The Seattle Great Wheel was featured in the climax for the film Death Note.
- The Seattle Great Wheel is a prominent landmark in the 2020 action-adventure game The Last of Us Part II.[11]
References
edit- ^ "Seattle: What's New?". visitseattle.org. Archived from the original on 21 May 2012. Retrieved 4 July 2012.
- ^ a b c d e Sullivan, Jennifer (June 29, 2012). "The Seattle Great Wheel opens to a big crowd". The Seattle Times. Archived from the original on 2017-12-26. Retrieved 2012-07-02.
- ^ Nolasco, Joanna (June 1, 2012). "Structures: 170,000-pound wheel on the pier? That's a tall order!". Puget Sound Business Journal. Archived from the original on 2022-07-15. Retrieved 2012-07-02.
- ^ a b Laura L. Myers (June 29, 2012). "Seattle's new landmark Great Wheel opening on waterfront". Chicago Tribune. Reuters. Archived from the original on 2012-07-05. Retrieved 2012-07-02.
- ^ Levesque, John (June 2012). "Recreation: Big Wheel". Seattle Business Magazine. Archived from the original on 2012-10-16. Retrieved 2012-06-30.
- ^ a b c Kugiya, Hugo (June 29, 2012). "What 'Seattle process'? Big wheel turns up fast". Puget Sound Business Journal. Archived from the original on 2018-09-26. Retrieved 2012-07-02.
- ^ "Grand opening of Seattle's Great Wheel". seattlepi.com. June 29, 2012. Archived from the original on 2017-11-07. Retrieved 2012-06-30.
- ^ "Seattle Great Wheel". Seattle Great Wheel. September 1, 2013. Archived from the original on 2013-08-05. Retrieved 2013-09-01.
- ^ "Seattle's Great Wheel opening pushed back to June 29". KING-TV. June 20, 2012. Archived from the original on 2014-05-31. Retrieved 2012-06-30.
- ^ "Seattle Great Wheel". Archived from the original on 2014-03-03. Retrieved 2012-06-30.
- ^ "PlayStation's The Last of Us Part II features a post-pandemic Seattle | Venture". dailyhive.com. Archived from the original on 2020-07-10. Retrieved 2020-07-10.
External links
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