The Seattle Great Wheel

Here we go!  The Seattle Great Wheel opens to the public today (Friday, June 29, 2012).  In hopes to revive the Seattle waterfront life, Hal Griffith set his sites to the sky.  Today, his dream becomes a reality as he opens the Seattle Great Wheel.

The Seattle Great Wheel is set to have a diameter of 175 feet and will lift riders approximately 200 feet into the sky. According to the project foreman, "it's going to come up like a spider." This comment playfully reflects the fact that the main sprocket has eight supportive legs. When the wheel's 42 gondolas are full, all of the structural foundations will have to support a total approximate weight of 334,900 pounds. When the gondolas are empty, the weight of the wheel is closer to 280,330 pounds. The Seattle Great Wheel's 42 gondolas, it should be noted, will be enclosed and equipped with both heating and air conditioning. Riders will delightfully have little to worry about in the way of weather whenever they embark on Seattle travel.

$13 per adult or $8.50 for kids under the age of 12 will get you ride on this snazzy new attraction.  Click on the photo for more details and ticket purchases.