150-foot tall Ferris wheel from Chicago opens in Branson

BRANSON, Mo. – 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 six passengers each and has 16,000 LED lights.

It came down in September after 20 years and 17 million riders 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 Ferris wheel.

The ride costs $12 for adults and $8 for kids 11 and under. Kids 3 and under ride free.

This story was originally published June 24, 2016 at 8:51 AM with the headline "150-foot tall Ferris wheel from Chicago opens in Branson."