The Sky Ride and ferris wheel at the Minnesota State Fair.

Ferris Wheel at Bay Beach Amusement Park in Green Bay, Wisconsin on a foggy December evening.

Water pools up behind the main building at Bay Beach Amusement Park just before the winter freeze.

A close-up look at one of the passenger capsules of the London Eye, captured while docked at its embarkation platform along the South Bank of the River Thames. Each capsule is a marvel of modern engineering — a fully enclosed, climate-controlled glass pod capable of carrying up to 25 passengers. Suspended externally from the wheel’s rim, the capsules are mounted using a unique motorized bearing system that allows them to remain perfectly upright as the 135-meter-tall structure rotates.

The London Eye, officially opened to the public in 2000 and designed by Marks Barfield Architects, was originally the world’s tallest observation wheel and quickly became an icon of contemporary London architecture. Built by a consortium including Hollandia, Tilbury Douglas, and Poma, the structure represents the transition into the new millennium — combining aeronautical precision with architectural transparency. From within these capsules, riders experience a slow, 30-minute revolution offering sweeping views of Westminster, St. Paul’s Cathedral, and beyond, encapsulating both the technical and cultural ambition of modern London.

The London Eye rises beyond the tree canopy of St. James’s Park, one of London’s oldest Royal Parks, originally laid out by King Henry VIII in the 16th century and redesigned in the 1820s by John Nash. The park’s lake, seen here with its central fountain, was part of the early landscaping that linked Buckingham Palace and Whitehall. Today, it remains a sanctuary for birds and waterfowl in the heart of Westminster, offering a striking juxtaposition between the park’s pastoral calm and the modern skyline crowned by the Ferris wheel completed in 1999.

A ferris wheel set up in downtown Minneapolis during the 2019 NCAA Final Four basketball tournament.

The bright blue Ferris wheel rises above Nicollet Mall in downtown Minneapolis, part of the city’s celebrations during the 2019 NCAA Final Four tournament. Set between modern office towers and historic facades, the installation turned the urban corridor into a festive promenade of color and motion. The glow from the wheel’s LEDs reflects off rain-dampened pavement and glass storefronts, capturing a rare moment when the city’s business district became an after-dark fairground alive with light, visitors, and late-spring energy.

A ferris wheel set up in downtown Minneapolis during the 2019 NCAA Final Four basketball tournament.

A temporary Ferris wheel illuminated downtown Minneapolis during the 2019 NCAA Final Four basketball tournament, transforming the city’s business core into a festive, light-filled gathering space. Installed near Nicollet Mall, the attraction symbolized the city’s embrace of large-scale national events and its ongoing downtown revitalization. With blue LED lights reflecting off surrounding office towers and skyways, the scene captured the blend of sports celebration and urban energy that defined Minneapolis during the tournament weekend.