11 Biggest Ferris Wheels in the World

The wheel size just keeps getting bigger and bigger with our list of the 11 biggest Ferris wheels in the world. Early in history, these types of amusement rides where called pleasure wheels. These large machines were made for entertainment. Passengers would ride them and strong men would operate and allow the wheel to turn. The recent term of the Ferris wheel was due to the original inventor and presenter George Washington Gale Ferris, Jr. who introduced the current skeleton and model of the Ferris wheel in a science fair just a few years before the 1900s.

Though we may not be aware of it, there are many Ferris wheels in the world. Each has its own uniqueness despite the similarity of the models. One of the indicators of the difference and popularity of these entertainment vessels are the size, specifically how big the wheel is and how tall they are. The higher the wheel turns, the farther and higher you can see from. Ferris wheels have been known to be a place of entertainment and romance. If you’re also looking for another list sporting the size requirements, check out our list of the 11 Biggest Music Festivals in the World.

Ferris wheels are significantly scattered, and you’ll find that in some popular cities they sport at least one similar attraction. Let’s get the wheel turning on the first of this list of 11.

11. Chicago Wheel

Height – 80.4 meters

Also known as the original Ferris wheel (the one Ferris Jr. created). The Chicago wheel was the biggest attraction of the World’s Columbian Exposition in 1983. The hope for the wheel was to rival that of the famous and recently built Eiffel Tower. The wheel carried 36,000 passengers daily and the charge to ride was 50 cents on 2 revolutions in the span of 20 minutes.