Dismantled in October of 2015 after a 20-year stint as Chicago's top tourist attraction, Navy Pier's old Ferris Wheel looks forward to living life anew in Branson, Missouri. Long renowned across the Midwest as a family-friendly entertainment destination, the Ozarks city will add Chicago's former wheel to other famed attractions such as the Branson Dinosaur Museum, the Titanic Museum, and 1880's-themed amusement park Silver Dollar City. During its tenure at Navy Pier, an estimated 17 million riders took a spin on the iconic Ferris wheel. That number will now grow as a new generation of fun-seekers can make rounds on the ride at its new Branson home, over 500 miles southwest of the Windy City.
The 150-foot Ferris wheel is headed to The Track Family Fun Parks located along Branson's famed Highway 76 entertainment strip. Considered to be the area's premier go-kart and laser tag destination, The Track plans to install the former Navy Pier attraction later this year as part of the park's 35th anniversary celebration. The acquisition and installation of the wheel represents a $2.5 million investment on the part of the park, according to a release. Meanwhile Chicago's Navy Pier is hard at work assembling its brand new, 200-foot $26.5 million Ferris wheel ahead of its announced summer 2016 grand opening.
·Navy Pier's Newer (and Bigger) Ferris Wheel is on the Rise [Curbed Chicago]
·Previous Navy Pier coverage [Curbed Chicago]
Loading comments...