The Ferris Wheel

The Ferris wheel. A tower that moves, a ride that towers, a bridge between the ground and the sky. First invented in 1893 for the World's Fair in Chicago by George Washington Gale Ferris. Mr. Ferris was a bridge builder who designed the wheel to rival the Eiffel Tower in Paris.

When the original Ferris wheel was demolished, its parts were re-use to build a bridge to span the Kankakee River, near Tefft, Indiana.

This model is a real working Ferris wheel with 12 cars, each intended for two passengers. The cars travel in two unique circles, some going the full height of the wheel, and some swinging deep inside the wheel, yet both sets of cars come to the same level at the bottom for convenient loading and unloading. A truly original design that we have not seen anywhere in other Ferris wheels.

When completed, this model stands more than two feet tall. The wheel diameter is 24 inches, and the base is 24 inches wide. The kit comes with everything you need except for a few simple tools like scissors, a utility knife (optional) and sandpaper (also optional) There are more than 140 pieces, yet it can be assembled in an afternoon for the impatient, or spend some time making it a true work of functional art.

We've had a great time designing this kit, and the kids enjoy it too. My five year old daughter loves taking her pocket dolls on Ferris wheel rides!

The Ferris Wheel is not only a popular amusement ride, it's also an important piece of engineering history that brings joy to people all over the world.