The Magical Ferris Wheel
A staple at every carnival and amusement park, the Ferris Wheel provides its riders with great spectacular views, sweet little romantic moments, or just a quick escape from the ground below. I have always been quite mystified by the giant wheel and its colorful cars carrying people into the sky and back. A few months ago I read the book "The Devil in the White City" written by Erik Larson. An absolutely fantastic read detailing the creation of the 1893 Chicago's World Fair along with a behind the scenes story of a serial killer running a muck. The tagline reads, "Murder, magic, and madness at the fair that changed America." If that does not catch your interest then I do not know what will! Quite an interesting history, I assure you. While reading the book I learned the story behind the creation of the great Ferris Wheel for the expedition. I found this to be fascinating since no one really ever stops to think about how this staple came to be. I was so thrilled to photograph it while Alison and I were on our Knoebels journey. See the previous post for more pictures from the park
A short summary from howstuffworks.com perfectly tells the story behind this mystical wheel. "For the World's Columbian Exposition of 1893 in Chicago, engineer George Ferris presented fair organizers with his idea of a giant rotating wheel that would carry passengers in cars attached around the outer edge. He convinced organizers to allow him to build the structure, which would rival France's Eiffel Tower. Indeed, Ferris's wheel, which cost $380,000 and stood 264 feet tall with a wheel diameter of 250 feet, was a huge success. Each car held 60 people, and, at 50 cents a ride, the wheel was one of the most popular attractions at the World's Fair. The Ferris wheel is a must-have for any carnival, and thousands of replications continue to delight passengers of all ages."
