Originally set to open in October, the St. Louis Wheel will begin its 30 rotations per hour, giving passengers 15-minute rides, earlier than anticipated.
With a new grand opening of 10 a.m. on September 30, the St. Louis Wheel’s production has happened quite quickly, right in front of St. Louisans’ eyes. Maybe that’s a result of how carefully choreographed its construction has been. So carefully choreographed that when the large steel beams arrived by semitrailers from a plant in Wichita, Kansas, they were almost immediately put in place.
Get a fresh take on the day’s top news
Subscribe to the St. Louis Daily newsletter for a smart, succinct guide to local news from award-winning journalists Sarah Fenske and Ryan Krull.
“There’s not a lot of ground to lay those pieces out,” says general manager Karyn Wilder. Paric’s crew blocked off a portion of 20th Street for trucks to unload off the highway. “I’m telling you,” Wilder laughs, “those are some skilled truck drivers.” The crews worked fast and, with the help of many cranes, the wheel took shape.
A part of Lodging Hospitality Management’s $187 million revamp of Union Station, the attraction’s Downtown West location was just one consideration. With Union Station being on the National Historic Register, most steps had to be federally approved.
Wilder expects the wheel will get large crowds, noting how often passersby asked when the attraction will be open to the public. “Observation wheels can see attendance and revenue that rivals entire theme parks,” she says. “[The wheel] is such an integral part of revitalizing the downtown area, redeveloping the Union Station complex. That’s our focus—whatever we need to do to make it a top-notch attraction that people are proud of.”
Here are five other things to know about the Wheel:
1. At 200 feet tall, the St. Louis Wheel stands taller than the Statue of Liberty. The massive structure weighs a whopping 640,000 pounds, 320 tons.
2. According to the attraction’s website, a ride in a regular gondola costs $15 for adults (13 years or older); $10 for children (ages 3 to 12).
3. The wheel is outfitted with 1.6 million LED lights that can produce 16.7 million color combinations. At other locations, Wilder says, the wheel’s colors are often used for gender reveals.
4. Made in Switzerland, the 42 ADA-compliant gondolas fit eight people each. Want a little luxury with the view? Try the VIP gondola, where guests can sit in leather bucket seats and view the city through a glass floor.
5. A two-week safety testing process entails testing the wheel’s speeds, motors, and brakes—in one test, the brakes were sprayed with water to simulate rain. When the team didn’t use steel weights to simulate human weight, they loaded barrels of water into gondolas for a ride. “Probably the trickiest thing about the wheel is, it needs a balanced load to run efficiently,” Wilder says, noting the team’s numerous balancing-scenarios tests.
Editor’s note: This article has been updated to include pricing.
