Seattle Ferris Wheel Great Wheel

The Seattle Great Wheel ferris wheel is a new prominent part of the Seattle downtown waterfront experience, visible from many directions because of its lofty 175 tall height projecting out over Elliott Bay at the end of a pier.

From one of the Great Wheel’s 42 gondolas, the view spans all around the Seattle skyline & waterfront, ferry terminal, Port of Seattle, Elliott Bay, West Seattle, Puget Sound, Olympic Mountains, Discovery Park, and Magnolia. Each gondola is fully enclosed with glass walls and bench seats on opposite sides. It is easy to move around and switch viewing positions if desired. No seat belts. The ride starts and stops for a while to let people on and off, and then proceeds to spin slowly around three times before returning people to Earth. Cost comes to about a dollar a minute.

The ferris wheel is generally open 7 days a week throughout the year, and stays open for all kinds of weather except for extremely high winds. Each gondola can seat up to 8 people. There is even a single special luxury VIP gondola that has four leather bucket seats and a glass floor, all for more than triple the normal entrance fee (though champagne is included…).