Navy Pier Ferris wheel takes its final spin

CHICAGO (FOX 32 News) -- The Navy Pier Ferris Wheel took one last spin Sunday night and then went dark.  The state's largest tourist attraction is getting a makeover.

The current Ferris wheel stands 150 feet tall and welcomes 63,000 riders every month.

The new wheel, standing 50 feet taller, will cost 26 and a half million dollars.  It will accommodate 180 more passengers per ride - those passengers will climb into temperature controlled gondolas that have TV screens.

Saturday night, the wheel was open for free rides from 10 p.m. to 9:45 a.m. and more than 7,000 riders took advantage of the free ride.

Then around 8 p.m. Sunday night some lucky riders got their chance for one last spin.

That last ride included Chicago Sun-Times film critic Richard Roeper who was also the first civilian to ride this Ferris wheel back in 1995.

Crews will begin dismantling the Ferris wheel Monday morning around 7:30 a.m. and will be finished by Halloween.