Ferris Wheel Takes Final Spin at Chicago’s Navy Pier

The Ferris wheel at Chicago's Navy Pier has taken its last spin before getting replaced with one that's nearly 50 feet taller.

The wheel installed in 1995 had its final go-around Sunday evening, and its dismantling was set to begin Monday morning. The Chicago Tribune reports about 30,000 people lined up to ride the Ferris wheel this past weekend.

Navy Pier Inc. spokesman Nick Shields says the Ferris wheel is expected to be gone by the end of October, with the new 196-foot structure scheduled to be in place by mid-2016. The new wheel with 42 temperature-controlled gondolas is being installed as part of Navy Pier's centennial celebration.

The first Ferris wheel was built for the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago.