Uploaded April 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
How did a structural bridge engineer from Pittsburgh save the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition and change amusement history forever? In this installment of Docent Talks, Chicago Architecture Center docent Jennifer McElroy stands dockside at Navy Pier to dive deep into the mind-blowing engineering, massive scale, and wild history of the world's very first Ferris Wheel. Read the historical highlights below:
The Ultimate Engineering Rivalry: "Out-Eiffel" Paris
Following the 1889 Paris Exposition, which stunned the world with the Eiffel Tower, the directors of Chicago's 1893 World's Fair issued a massive challenge to American engineers, designers, and architects: create a structural masterpiece that would completely eclipse the French. George Washington Gail Ferris Jr., a veteran bridge and structural engineer, answered the call with a radical idea inspired by the water wheels of rural Pennsylvania mills.
A 4-Month Construction Miracle
Ferris was finally given the official green light in January 1893. His team had to break through frozen, solid winter ground in Jackson Park to lay massive foundations, leaving them with just four short months to engineer and construct a completely unprecedented revolving steel structure before the fair opened.
Mind-Blowing Scale (Bigger Than Navy Pier!)
While the current Centennial Wheel at Navy Pier stands at an impressive 200 feet tall, the original 1893 Ferris Wheel was significantly larger at 264 feet tall. It featured the largest hollow steel forged axle ever created at the time—measuring over 40 feet long—and was powered by massive, 2,000-horsepower steam engines buried deep in the earth.
The Original Passenger Experience: Rolling City Buses
Unlike today’s cozy, 6-person enclosed pods, the original wheel featured 36 massive cars that were roughly the size of a train car or city bus. Each car:
Carried up to 60 passengers simultaneously (allowing over 2,000 people on the wheel at once).
Featured 40 plush, swiveling velvet seats to maximize panoramic views.
Sometimes hosted full live bands inside to entertain riders.
Was staffed by a formally uniformed attendant in brass buttons to welcome guests and calm panicked riders.
A Ride of a Lifetime (and a Financial Triumph)
Riders paid 50 cents a ticket (equivalent to about $17–$18 today) for a two-rotation experience. According to period newspaper accounts, the first turn was a slow, majestic crawl, but operators really "gunned it" on the second rotation to give passengers a thrilling ride. Over 1.5 million people rode the wheel, making it the financial savior of the fair before it was eventually dismantled, moving briefly to Lincoln Park, and finally to the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair.
Subscribe to the Chicago Architecture Center for more exclusive historical insights, virtual tours, and deep dives into the icons of the built environment.
How did a structural bridge engineer from Pittsburgh save the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition and change amusement history forever? In this installment of Docent Talks, Chicago Architecture Center docent Jennifer McElroy stands dockside at Navy Pier to dive deep into the mind-blowing engineering, massive scale, and wild history of the world's very first Ferris Wheel. Read the historical highlights below:
The Ultimate Engineering Rivalry: "Out-Eiffel" Paris
Following the 1889 Paris Exposition, which stunned the world with the Eiffel Tower, the directors of Chicago's 1893 World's Fair issued a massive challenge to American engineers, designers, and architects: create a structural masterpiece that would completely eclipse the French. George Washington Gail Ferris Jr., a veteran bridge and structural engineer, answered the call with a radical idea inspired by the water wheels of rural Pennsylvania mills.
A 4-Month Construction Miracle
Ferris was finally given the official green light in January 1893. His team had to break through frozen, solid winter ground in Jackson Park to lay massive foundations, leaving them with just four short months to engineer and construct a completely unprecedented revolving steel structure before the fair opened.
Mind-Blowing Scale (Bigger Than Navy Pier!)
While the current Centennial Wheel at Navy Pier stands at an impressive 200 feet tall, the original 1893 Ferris Wheel was significantly larger at 264 feet tall. It featured the largest hollow steel forged axle ever created at the time—measuring over 40 feet long—and was powered by massive, 2,000-horsepower steam engines buried deep in the earth.
The Original Passenger Experience: Rolling City Buses
Unlike today’s cozy, 6-person enclosed pods, the original wheel featured 36 massive cars that were roughly the size of a train car or city bus. Each car:
Carried up to 60 passengers simultaneously (allowing over 2,000 people on the wheel at once).
Featured 40 plush, swiveling velvet seats to maximize panoramic views.
Sometimes hosted full live bands inside to entertain riders.
Was staffed by a formally uniformed attendant in brass buttons to welcome guests and calm panicked riders.
A Ride of a Lifetime (and a Financial Triumph)
Riders paid 50 cents a ticket (equivalent to about $17–$18 today) for a two-rotation experience. According to period newspaper accounts, the first turn was a slow, majestic crawl, but operators really "gunned it" on the second rotation to give passengers a thrilling ride. Over 1.5 million people rode the wheel, making it the financial savior of the fair before it was eventually dismantled, moving briefly to Lincoln Park, and finally to the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair.
Subscribe to the Chicago Architecture Center for more exclusive historical insights, virtual tours, and deep dives into the icons of the built environment.
