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.
