Ferris wheels are a very popular attraction in theme parks and also in many cities. There are two types of ferris wheels – the ones in theme parks usually serve as temporary rides, whereas ferris wheels in the cities are used for observation purposes and are called observation wheels.
Usually a ferris wheel consists of a rotating wheel with multiple cabins attached to the rim. The whole construction turns allowing the passengers to have a good view from a high place. Whereas most of the ferris wheels look similar as the said description, there are few exceptions that do not conform to that scheme. Let’s take a look at some of the most unusual and weirdest ferris wheels in the world.
10. Osaka
This Ferris wheel is located in Don Quijote, a famous shopping store in Osaka, Japan. It’s more an ellipse than a circle, but it still functions as a ferris wheel – or we should better say “functioned”, because unfortunately this ferris wheel has been out of operation for a long time because a fault in the machinery was found. We keep our fingers crossed for this ferris wheel to be repaired!
Osaka Ferris Wheel
9 . Tokyo
With a diameter of 200 feet Big O’ Ferris wheel, which is located in Tokyo is the biggest ferris wheel in this city. You could ask what is so weird or unusual about this ferris wheel. Well, it doesn’t have a center! Yes, that’s right. It had to be built in that way, because it has a roller coaster track going through the middle of it!
The Big O Ferris Wheel
8. Detroit
Who said the cabins of the ferris wheel had to be so traditional? In Detroit they don’t succumb to schematic thinking – in Comerica Park, which is a baseball park where plays the team Detroit Tigers, they built a ferris wheel with cabins shaped as baseball balls!
Baseball Ferris Wheel
7 . Michigan
This ferris wheel is a giant tire! Now that’s unusual! The Uniroyal Giant Tire Ferris wheel was created by the Uniroyal Tire Company for the 1964 New York World’s Fair, where it functioned as a ferris wheel. Unfortunately when the fair ended in 1965, the tire was disassembled and shipped by rail to Detroit, where it was reassembled without its passenger gondolas in 1966 as a static display outside a Uniroyal sales office
US Royal Tyres Ferris Wheel
6 . Yorkshire
Called “Rotataur” this ferris wheel has pretty original cabins – they are in the shape of wild west wagons. This ferris wheel is part of the Flamingo Land Resort located in North Yorkshire, England.
Waggons Ferris Wheel
5 . New York
You wouldn’t expect a ferris wheel in a store. But this is what was waiting for clients of “Toys R Us” store in New York’s Times Square. Unfortunately since the end of 2015 this attractions is no longer available due to the closure of the shop.
Toys ‘R’ Us Ferris Wheel
4 . Las Vegas
Maybe this ferris wheel is not weird but it’s certainly unusual. It’s so unusual that it’s exceptional and unique – it’s the world’s tallest ferris wheel. Or should we call it observation wheel? It’s located on the Las Vegas Strip
World’s Tallest Ferris Wheel
3 . Transylvania
This one though is certainly weird and also unusual. What makes it so interesting is that it’s located 350 feet underground inside a giant salt mine shaft
Underground Ferris Wheel
2 . China
Located in Macau in the Studio City resort this Ferris wheel called Golden Reel is the highest structure of this kind in Asia – it’s located at 425 feet high! It’s also World’s first figure 8 ferris wheel and was inspired by an imagination of two flaming asteroids that crashed their way through the building and left two holes in which the figure eight shaped wheel was made.
World’s First Figure 8 Ferris Wheel
1 . Austria
This Ferris wheel is located at Wurstelprater amusement park in Austria’s capital Vienna. Maybe not very weird or unusual now, but back in 1897 when it was build, this ferris wheel was quite an attraction – it was world’s tallest extant ferris wheel all they way until 1985. Now it’s usefulness consists on being the world’s oldest active Ferris wheel.
World’s Oldest Moving Ferris Wheel
