SkyStar Wheel
| SkyStar Wheel | |
|---|---|
 SkyStar Wheel while located in Fisherman's Wharf in January 2024 | |
 | |
| General information | |
| Status | Operating |
| Type | Observation wheel |
| Location | Fisherman's Wharf |
| Address | 2860 Taylor Street |
| Town or city | San Francisco |
| Country | United States |
| Coordinates | 37°48′31″N 122°24′49″W / 37.808606°N 122.413489°W |
| Opened | March 29, 2018 |
| Owner | SkyView Partners |
| Height | 150 feet (45.7 m) |
| Dimensions | |
| Diameter | 137 feet (41.8 m) |
| Design and construction | |
| Engineer | Mondial World of Rides |
| Other information | |
| Seating capacity | 215 |
| Website | |
Official website  | |
| References | |
| [1][2][3] | |
SkyStar Wheel is a 150-foot tall (45.7 m) 137-foot (41.8 m) diameter traveling observation wheel located in San Francisco's Fisherman's Wharf since November 13, 2023. It has previously operated in San Francisco's Music Concourse (2020–2023), Cincinnati's The Banks (2018–2020), Louisville's Waterfront Park (2018), and Norfolk (2018).
Design
SkyStar Wheel is a 150-foot tall (45.7 m) 137-foot (41.8 m) diameter traveling observation wheel.[1][2][3][4] It is 500-foot tall (152.4 m) in circumference and includes over one million colored LED lights.[1]
The wheel has a total of 36 climate-controlled gondolas.[1][3] There are 35 handicap accessible general admission gondolas which holds up to six guests.[1] As well as one non-handicap accessible VIP gondola with leather seats and hardwood floors which holds up to five guests.[1] An average ride lasts for twelve minutes.[1]
It was designed by SkyView Partners and Mondial World of Rides.[3]
Operations
The observation wheel is owned and operated by SkyView Partners, a company based in St. Louis, Missouri.[2]
History
The ride first opened on March 29, 2018 in Louisville, Kentucky's Waterfront Park for the 2018 Kentucky Derby, Thunder Over Louisville, and Waterfront Wednesday season opener.[3] It remained open until May 6, 2018.[3] The base rent paid by the operator to the park was US$25,000 or 5% of gross profits, whichever was greater.[3]
It moved to the Waterside District in downtown Norfolk, Virginia and opened on May 19, 2018 where it operated until August 19, 2018.[5][6]
The wheel was scheduled to open at the Banks alongside the Ohio River in Cincinnati, Ohio on August 31, 2018, but was delayed until September 1, 2018 due to weather.[7] It opened to help celebrate the Banks' ten-year anniversary and was located across from the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center.[7] The wheel remained open at this location until March 1, 2020.[8][9][10] On July 2, 2019, it was announced that the owners planned to return to the area and install a permanent 180-foot tall (54.9 m) observation wheel set to open by March 5, 2021.[11][12] However, the company indicated in December 2020 they had put the plans on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[8][12]
The wheel arrived at the Music Concourse within San Francisco's Golden Gate Park on March 15, 2020 and completed assembly on March 21 as an attraction to celebrate the park's 150th anniversary.[2][13] While that celebration was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the observation wheel opened on October 21, 2020 under a one-year contract.[2][14] The contract was later extended an additional year to help the operator recoup their lost costs from the pandemic.[2] It closed on October 22, 2023 to relocate to nearby Fisherman's Wharf in time for the 2023 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit.[2]
Since November 13, 2023, it has been operating in San Francisco's Fisherman's Wharf.[2][4]
Locations
| Location | Dates | References |
|---|---|---|
| Fisherman's Wharf, San Francisco, California | November 13, 2023–present | [2][4] |
| Music Concourse, San Francisco, California | October 21, 2020 – October 22, 2023 | [2][13] |
| The Banks, Cincinnati, Ohio | September 1, 2018 – March 1, 2020 | [7][8][9] |
| Waterside District, Norfolk, Virginia | May 19, 2018 – August 19, 2018 | [5][6] |
| Waterfront Park, Louisville, Kentucky | March 29, 2018 – May 6, 2018 | [3] |
Gallery
See also
References
- ^ a b c d e f g "SkyStar Wheel – Fisherman's Wharf". SkyStar Wheel Site. Retrieved 2024-01-28.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Whiting, Sam (2023-10-23). "Giant Ferris wheel closes at Golden Gate Park. It will return for APEC in new location". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 2024-01-28.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Aulbach, Lucas (2018-03-31). "Wheel news: A massive Ferris wheel is now open at Waterfront Park through Derby season". The Courier-Journal. Retrieved 2024-01-28.
- ^ a b c "SkyStar Ferris Wheel arrives at Fisherman's Wharf just in time for the holidays". The Bold Italic. 2023-11-14. Retrieved 2024-01-28.
- ^ a b Townsend, Philip (2018-08-17). "Last chance to ride the SkyStar wheel in Norfolk". 13newsnow.com. Retrieved 2024-01-28.
- ^ a b "SkyStar Ferris Wheel grand opening Saturday at Waterside District". 13newsnow.com. 2018-05-18. Retrieved 2024-01-28.
- ^ a b c "SkyStar wheel opens to great views, reviews". WCPO 9 Cincinnati. 2018-08-31. Retrieved 2024-01-28.
- ^ a b c Wartman, Scott; Fair, Julia (2021-07-08). "No Ferris wheels for Newport, Cincinnati anytime soon". The Enquirer. Retrieved 2024-01-28.
- ^ a b "SkyStar Ferris Wheel Moving- Permanent Ferris Wheel Coming". spectrumnews1.com. 2020-03-02. Retrieved 2024-01-28.
- ^ "Out with the old, in with the new: Cincinnati's SkyStar being dismantled". WLWT. 2020-03-02. Retrieved 2024-01-28.
- ^ Brookbank, Sarah; Wartman, Scott. "It's (mostly) official: SkyStar Wheel will stay in Cincinnati". USA TODAY. Retrieved 2024-01-28.
- ^ a b Wartman, Scott (2021-01-26). "SkyStar return? Maybe, but owner tells county they understand 'if something else comes along'". The Enquirer. Retrieved 2024-01-28.
- ^ a b Whiting, Sam (2020-03-20). "Tallest traveling big wheel arrives in Golden Gate Park, but no one can ride it". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 2024-01-28.
- ^ Barros, Joe Rivano (2023-08-28). "SF gets just 3 percent of Golden Gate ferris wheel ticket sales". Mission Local. Retrieved 2024-01-28.