Top 10 Largest and Tallest Ferris Wheels in the World

A FERRIS WHEEL (or big wheel in the United Kingdom, also called giant wheels or observation wheels) is an amusement ride consisting of a rotating upright wheel with multiple passenger-carrying components (commonly referred to as passenger cars, cabins, tubs, gondolas, capsules, or pods) attached to the rim in such a way that as the wheel turns, they are kept upright, usually by gravity. Some of the largest modern Ferris wheels have cars mounted on the outside of the rim, with electric motors to independently rotate each car to keep it upright. These cars are often referred to as capsules or pods.

The original Ferris Wheel was designed and constructed by George Washington Gale Ferris Jr. as a landmark for the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago. The generic term Ferris wheel, now used in American English for all such structures, has become the most common type of amusement ride at state fairs in the United States.

The current tallest Ferris wheel, the 250-metre (820 ft) Ain Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, opened in October 2021. The previous record holder since 2014 had been the 167.6-metre (550 ft) High Roller in Las Vegas, Nevada, which opened to the public in March 2014.

Ferris Wheel News, Reviews & Resources

• 15 Best Ferris Wheels in the World - Fodors Travel Guide.
• Ferris wheel - Wikipedia.
• Ferris wheel catches fire at music festival in Germany - "More than 20 people were injured after a Ferris wheel at a music festival in Germany caught fire on Saturday evening. Images show two carriages of the ride on fire as smoke billows into the air at the Highfield Festival near the city of Leipzig."
• List of Ferris wheels - Wikipedia.
• Record-breaking ferris wheel opens in Dubai - "Dubai officially opened the world's largest and tallest ferris wheel on Thursday, as part of an initiative to bolster the city's status as a major tourism hub. It's known as the 'Dubai Eye' and stands at 250m."
• South Korean capital building world’s biggest spokeless Ferris wheel - "South Korea’s capital is adding another feature to its skyline in 2027 - the 'Seoul Ring,' a 180-meter (591-foot) spokeless Ferris wheel."
• Yoga In The Sky: The London Eye’s New Wellness Pod - "What’s the secret of the apparent golden glow from some passengers as they step out of one particular pod on the London Eye this fall? Anyone observing will wonder why they look so relaxed and in such a good place. What could have happened during their rotation through the London sky? As this iconic London structure revolves at its gentle pace, up to six guests can soar as high as 135m above the streetscape to experience 60 minutes of pure escapism and relaxation. It is a new way to unwind while enjoying the visual stimulation of the pulsating city below."

World's 10 Largest & Tallest Ferris Wheels

• Bailang River Bridge Ferris Wheel - centreless non-rotating Ferris wheel built on the 1,771-foot (540 m) Bailang River Bridge that crosses the Bailing river in Weifang, Shandong, China. The structure has a height of 145 metres (476 ft) and when completed in 2017 became the world's largest centreless Ferris wheel. Comprising 4,600 tons of steel and a kite grid construction system, described as a 'dragon spine', the body of the Ferris wheel remains stationary while each of the 36 carriages takes 30 minutes to fully traverse its circumference. Each carriage can carry 10 passengers and has Wi-Fi and television sets. It is the fifth tallest ferris wheel in the world.
• Bay Glory - giant cantilevered observation wheel located at Qianhai Bay, Shenzhen, China. It is operated by OCT and opened to the public on 18 April 2021. The structure has an overall height of 128-metre (420-foot) and the wheel has a diameter of 113.3-metre (372-foot). It has 28 gondolas, each gondola has a net area of 16.8? and can seat a maximum of 25 passengers. Passengers can see the scenery of Qianhai Bay and Pearl River estuary Lingdingyang from the gondola. It is the seventh tallest ferris wheel in the world.
• Dubai Eye | Ain Dubai - opened on October 21, 2021. World's largest and tallest (250 m (820 ft)) observation wheel located on Bluewaters Island, near the Dubai Marina in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The 250 m (820 ft) Ain Dubai (previously named the Dubai Eye or Dubai-I at Bluewaters Island in the United Arab Emirates was announced in February 2013. Hyundai Engineering & Construction and Starneth Engineering were appointed as the primary design and construction contractors. Construction began in May 2015, anticipating completion in early to mid-2019. Further delays pushed the target opening to October 20, 2020, in order to coincide with Expo 2020, but this itself was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The wheel opened a year later on October 21, 2021. Ain Dubai is 82.4 m (270 ft) taller than the previous world's tallest observation wheel, the 167.6 m (550 ft) High Roller, which opened in Las Vegas in March 2014.
• High Roller - 550-foot tall (167.6 m), 520-foot (158.5 m) diameter giant Ferris wheel on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada, United States. Owned and operated by Caesars Entertainment, it opened to the public on March 31, 2014 and is currently the world's second tallest Ferris wheel surpassed only by Ain Dubai. It is 9 ft (2.7 m) taller than the 541-foot (165 m) Singapore Flyer, which had held the record since 2008.
• London Eye - opened on December 31, 1999. Or the Millennium Wheel, is a cantilevered observation wheel on the South Bank of the River Thames in London. It is Europe's tallest cantilevered observation wheel, and is the most popular paid tourist attraction in the United Kingdom with over 3 million visitors annually. It has made many appearances in popular culture. The structure is 135 metres (443 ft) tall and the wheel has a diameter of 120 metres (394 ft). When it opened to the public in 2000 it was the world's tallest Ferris wheel. Its height was surpassed by the 160 metres (525 ft) Star of Nanchang in 2006, the 165 metres (541 ft) Singapore Flyer in 2008, and the 167 metres (548 ft) High Roller (Las Vegas) in 2014. Supported by an A-frame on one side only, unlike the taller Nanchang and Singapore wheels, the Eye is described by its operators as "the world's tallest cantilevered observation wheel". The London Eye used to offer the highest public viewing point in London until it was superseded by the 245-metre-high (804 ft) observation deck on the 72nd floor of The Shard, which opened to the public on 1 February 2013. It is the sixth tallest ferris wheel in the world.
• Redhorse Osaka Wheel - 123-metre (404 ft) tall, 118.3-metre (388 ft) diameter giant Ferris wheel at Expocity in Suita, Osaka Prefecture, Japan. It is the ninth tallest ferris wheel in the world.
• Singapore Flyer - "A Moving Experience At Every Turn." Observation wheel at the Downtown Core district of Singapore. Officially opened on 15 April 2008, it has 28 air-conditioned capsules, each able to accommodate 28 passengers, and incorporates a three-story terminal building. The flyer has made numerous appearances in media and popular culture that features Singapore. The Flyer has an overall height of 165 metres (541 ft) and was the world's tallest Ferris wheel until the 167.6 m (550 ft) High Roller, which is slightly 2.6 m (9 ft) taller than the Flyer. Nevertheless, it remains the second highest.
• Sky Dream - 126-metre-tall giant Ferris wheel in LIHPAO Discovery Land, Houli District, Taichung, Taiwan. It is the largest Ferris wheel in Taiwan being 126 meters (413 feet) tall. The Ferris wheel was originally built as Sky Dream Fukuoka in Fukuoka, Japan. It opened in 2001 and closed on 26 September 2009. It was sold and dismantled in 2010 and shipped to Taiwan. Reconstruction at Lihpao Land started in 2014. It started its operation on May 13, 2017. The Ferris wheel has a diameter of 126 meters and stands at an altitude of 384 meters above sea level. It has a total 60 passenger cars with each car can accommodate passengers up to 8 people. It runs at a speed of 25 minutes per revolution. It is the eighth tallest ferris wheel in the world.
• Star of Nanchang - 160-metre (525 ft) tall giant Ferris wheel located in the eastern Chinese city of Nanchang, the capital of Jiangxi Province. The Star of Nanchang opened for business in May 2006, having cost 57 million yuan (roughly $7.3 million) to build. Formerly the world's tallest Ferris wheel, it was succeeded by the 165-meter (541 ft)-tall Singapore Flyer which officially opened to the public on March 1, 2008. Now the fourth tallest.
• The Wheel at ICON Park Orlando - 400 ft (122 m) tall giant ferris wheel in Orlando, Florida, United States. Opening under the name Orlando Eye, it opened on April 29, 2015. The wheel was reported to be in the early stages of planning in March 2011, at which point it was proposed for completion in mid-2014, but the opening date was subsequently delayed to late 2014 and then to early 2015. The attraction was renamed the Coca-Cola Orlando Eye in 2015; the ICON Orlando in 2018; and The Wheel at ICON Park Orlando in 2019. The most recent rename included a re-branding of the property to become ICON Park. It is the tenth tallest ferris wheel in the world.