Seattle Center Opens Observation Wheel
On April 21st, 2011, the Seattle Center opens a giant observation wheel, which will operate through October 21, 2012. The wheel's installation at the Seattle Center is part of The Next Fifty celebration. This commemorates the 50th anniversary of the 1962 World Fair in Seattle, which left the city with such legacies as its iconic Space Needle, the monorail, and the Pacific Science Center.
The observation wheel, which will occupy the Center Square, is nearly 200 feet tall, featuring enclosed, air-conditioned capsules, each capable of holding eight tourists. From its peak, the capsule's occupants will be treated to a panoramic view of Seattle and its surroundings. It will be the tallest year-round observation wheel in the country, topped only by a larger, 212-foot wheel open only during the Texas State Fair.
A partnership between British-based Great City Attractions and the Seattle Center has driven the effort, while Seattle events promoter Michael Campbell of Elliott Bay Events proved instrumental to the plan. GCA is funding the transportation and installation costs for the wheel, and a share of the revenues generated by the wheel will be used to fund other aspects of The Next Fifty celebration. A gift shop dedicated to The Next Fifty effort opened on March 17, 2011, and will sell souvenirs related to the celebration, raising additional funds for the celebration.
Many Seattle residents will miss the Fun Forest amusement park that formerly occupied the site. It was constructed during the 1962 World's Fair. Unfortunately, declining revenue from its rides and arcades led the Seattle Center to close most of the Fun Forest in 2009, although its southern part, including its bumper cars and Kiddie Land, continued operating through September 6, 2010.
Seattle Center, which serves over 12 million visitors each year and occupies 74 acres in downtown Seattle in the same area as the Space Needle and the Experience Music Project/Science Fiction Museum, provides public programming activities such as festivals, concerts, and movies and houses over thirty cultural, educational, entertainment, and sports organizations. Among the events it sponsors are Seattle's famous Bumbershoot music festival, its Cherry Blossom Festival, and the Seattle International Film Festival. Its facilities include the Key Arena, Center House, and the Fisher Pavilion.
Posted on Apr 19, 2011 by Cat Rambo
