Capital Wheel

The Capital Wheel is a Ferris wheel at National Harbor, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C., in the United States. It opened on May 23, 2014. The wheel was conceived by National Harbor developer Milton Peterson and inspired by the Roue de Paris. Built by Chance Rides of Wichita, Kansas, it has an overall height of 180 feet (54.9 m) and sits on a 770-foot-long (230 m) pier extending into the adjacent Potomac River, easily visible to passengers on flights to or from National Airport. Landmarks visible from inside the wheel include the National Harbor, the Washington Monument, the city of Alexandria, and Georgetown University. The 165-foot (50.3 m) diameter wheel carries 42 climate-controlled passenger gondolas, each able to seat eight people, including a VIP gondola that can be rented for weddings or celebrations. The wheel has programmable special-effects lighting and seasonal concessions at the base of the ride from the Wolfgang Puck restaurant chain. The entire structure is 175 (52.6 m) feet tall.