Golden Gate Park’s Giant Ferris Wheel Moving to Fisherman’s Wharf
Thanks to the San Francisco Standard for sharing the news that after nearly 3 years in operation, San Francisco’s giant Ferris wheel, the SkyStar Observation Wheel, is saying goodbye to Golden Gate Park.
The Ferris Wheel is moving across town to a triangular-shaped lot near Pier 39 and Fisherman’s Wharf known as Lot 30.
The Ferris wheel was installed in the Music Concourse, between de Young Museum and the California Academy of Sciences, in 2020 as part of Golden Gate Park’s 150th-anniversary celebration. The 150-foot Ferris Wheel initially met some opposition to its location in Golden Gate Park due to its bright lights and its potential impacts on wildlife. Despite the opposition, more than 650,000 riders have taken a 12-minute spin around on the Wheel which features 36 gondolas. Golden Gate Park visitors rode the Ferris wheel for the last time on Sunday, October 22.
The SkyStar is expected to reopen at its new San Francisco location on November 10, 2023, ahead of APEC, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit, which expects thousands of visitors to the City. The Wheel will remain in San Francisco until March 2025.
The SkyStar Observation Wheel was previously installed in Louisville, Kentucky; Norfolk, Virginia; and Cincinnati, Ohio. This is the first time an observation wheel of this scale has operated in San Francisco since Golden Gate Park hosted the Midwinter International Exposition of 1894, where the first Wheel stood at 120 feet tall.
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