Navy Pier Ferris wheel takes its final spin

Loading Video…

This browser does not support the Video element.

Loading Video…

This browser does not support the Video element.

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.