Photos: Navy Pier's New Ferris Wheel Now Has Swanky Gondolas

By Mae Rice in Arts & Entertainment on Feb 29, 2016 9:07PM

Navy Pier is between Ferris wheels, but not for much longer.

Today, workers installed climate-controlled gondolas on the wheel's existing skeleton—the final touch on the 200-foot-tall creation.

All 42 of the Ferris wheel's climate-controlled gondolas are expected to be installed by day's end Monday, according to a statement from Navy Pier.

Though the gondolas sound swank, they also sound like they'll have what amounts to the Ferris wheel incarnation of taxi TV.

"Each gondola will also contain an entertainment system with video screens that will play various Navy Pier information during the ride," the statement said.

From here, the Ferris wheel is slated to undergo "testing and engineering work," according to a statement from Navy Pier. It will be up and running in time for Navy Pier's 2016 Centennial Celebration (though it's unclear when, exactly, that is.)

Construction first started on the new Ferris wheel in January, and another bout—which made it look much more wheel-like—took place in February.

Chicago said goodbye to Navy Pier's trusty old Ferris wheel back in September, with a weekend of free overnight Ferris wheel rides.

(You don't really expect Ferris wheels to get new jobs, but ours did. It's headed to a Missouri theme park.)