If you ask anyone to picture a funfair or amusement park in their mind, chances are that towering above that mental image will be a Ferris Wheel Noria (atracción). How did these iconic rides become such an enduring part of the amusement park experience? The beginnings of an answer lie further back in history than many people imagine – over 100 years in fact.
In 1890 the authorities in Chicago enlisted the help of architect Daniel Burnham and set him the task of transforming a boggy piece of land into something wondrous. He, in turn with the image of the recently completed Eiffel Tower in Paris firmly in mind, told his carefully selected team of designers to think big – and think big they did.
Some of the ideas such as the tower acting as a hub of a rail system that would allow travel to distant cities in toboggan like contraptions were quickly shelved as was Eiffel’s suggestion of (no surprises) a tower higher than his namesake creation in Paris. But one man, G.W. Gale Ferris Jr had a flash of inspiration. A young engineer from Pittsburgh, he was originally tasked with inspecting the steel to be used for the World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago. His idea (quickly sketched) was an enormous revolving steel wheel. Burnham balked at the idea which seemed to him to be dangerous in the extreme – but Ferris never gave up. He invested $25,000 of his own funds, found other like minded investors, hired engineers and on 16 December 1892 his 264ft wheel began to turn. To say it was a hit was an understatement. Over 1.4 million Exposition attendees paid the princely sum of 50 cents for a ride lasting 20 minutes. However, the original wheel passed into history after Ferris was faced with lawsuit after lawsuit around debts related to its construction. It ended up as scrap iron.
Of course, that was not to be the end of the fabulous creation of Mr Ferris. Imitations soon populated sites across the globe – and today the magnificence of the modern versions far outstrips the original in glamor, if not in purpose.
For instance, there is the ‘High Roller’ in Las Vegas (of course). It is the highest Ferris wheel in the world – towering just under 550 feet above the strip. It can carry 1,120 people at a time in retro-futurist ‘pods’ and needless to say, the view is spectacular. Outside of the U.S., there are several notable Ferris wheels. There is the London Eye in the U.K. which offers magnificent views over the aThames and the city. It consists of 32 cars carrying 800 people and is around 442 feet high. For a touch of nostalgia travel to Vienna, Austria and enjoy the ‘Riesenrad’. This is the oldest working Ferris wheel in the world and has only 15 cars – but the wait in line might be worth it if one considers that each car has a table – perfect for enjoying dinner and a view. Many other wonderful examples can be found spread across the globe.
The Ferris Wheel remains a favorite with young and old. No matter how tallit is or how noteworthy it is for some record or another there remains something magical about serenely soaring upwards to enjoy the sites far below. To see more types of ferris wheel, please enter https://bestonjuegosmecanicos.com.mx/rueda-dela-fortuna-juego-mecanico/.