Former Navy Pier Ferris wheel begins operating in Branson, Mo.
BRANSON, Mo. (AP) -- A 150-foot tall Ferris wheel from Chicago's Navy Pier has started operating in the Missouri tourist destination of Branson.
The Springfield News-Leader reports that about 200 people turned out Thursday morning for its grand opening. The wheel includes 40 gondolas that hold up to 6 passengers apiece.
It came down in September after 20 years in Chicago and was replaced with a 196-foot Ferris wheel.
The disassembled structure moved to Branson in early 2016. This spring, a team of engineers from the Netherlands joined local contractors to install the wheel on its new site at The Track Family Fun Parks. The project cost about $4 million.
Branson Mayor Karen Best said she thought she would "run off the road" when she learned Branson was getting the relocated Ferris wheel.