All you need to know about the world’s first Ferris wheel  

Ever taken a giant wheel ride? What’s better than a Ferris wheel or what you call a giant wheel to go rolling high in the sky? Doesn’t it feel like you are on top of the world with flying hair? Let’s find out about the first Ferris wheel in the world.   

Chicago wheel 
So, who designed the world’s first Ferris wheel? The original Ferris Wheel, also called Chicago Wheel, was designed and constructed by George Washington Gale Ferris Jr., an American bridge and tunnel engineer. Of course, the amusement ride was named after him. The ride was a landmark for the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago. 

A giant structure  
Imagine over 2000 people taking experiencing a single ride at that time! It must have been spectacular, no? So, what were the features of this giant creation? The first and foremost was its height. With a height of 80.4 metres (264 ft), it was the tallest attraction at the Exposition and was intended to rival the 324-metre (1,063 ft) Eiffel Tower, the centre piece of the  1889 Paris Exposition. The wheel rotated on a 71-tonne, 45.5-foot axle comprising what was at that time the world's largest hollow forging.  

The ride was made up of 36 cars, each fitted with 40 revolving chairs able to accommodate up to 60 people, with a total seating capacity of 2,160. Can you imagine how many passengers it carried daily? 38,000. Wow, that quite a number! If you were scared or dizzy, there was a chance to get out in the first rotation of the wheel. Actually, it took six stops in between. If you didn’t get down in the first one, there was no escape for the next nine minutes. You would have to just sit tight and enjoy. The wheel took about 20 minutes to complete two revolutions.  

So is it still there? No. It did not stay there for long. The Exposition ended in October 1893, and the wheel closed in April 1894. It was then dismantled and restored at various places before being finally destroyed by demolition using dynamite in 1906.  

How does it function? 
But how does the wheel work? How do those passenger pods go round and round? It is all science. As the wheel turns, they are kept upright, usually by gravity. The Ferris wheel spins upwards with the help of gears and motors, while gravity pulls the wheel back down again. The same cycle continues for the duration of the ride.  

Ferris wheel facts  
Can you guess which is the tallest Ferris wheel today and where is it? It is the 260-metre or 853 feet high Ain Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, which opened for the public in 2021. Believe it or not, the Ain Dubai takes more than half an hour for one complete rotation!  

The oldest existing Ferris wheel in the world  is ‘Weiner Riesenrad’ in Austria. Originally constructed in 1897 to honour Emperor Franz Josef I's 50th Jubilee, it still remains one of Vienna's most beloved attractions.