The London Eye

The London Eye ( also known as the Millennium Wheel) is 135 metres and is the biggest Ferris wheel in Europe, has become the most popular paid tourist attraction in the United Kingdom, visited by over 3 million people a year. It was built between 1998 and 1999, even though it now more of a tourist attraction, it was designed as an '' Observation Wheel''.


However, it is still described by its operators as "the world's tallest cantilevered observation wheel" (because the entire structure is supported by an A-frame on one side only). The wheel holds 32 passenger capsules (representing one of the London Boroughs ) each one carries roughly 30 people, who are free to walk around inside the capsule, though you are able to sit. It rotates at 26 cm per second (about 0.9 km/h) so that one whole lap takes about 30 minutes. Thanks to his slowness, The wheel does not usually stop to take on passengers.
It was formally opened by the then Prime Minister, Tony Blair, on 31st December 1999, although it was not opened to the public until March 2000 because of technical problems. 8.5 million people had ridden the Eye, by mid-2002. It had planning permission only for five years, but then they decided to make the attraction permanent. Since 1 January 2005, the Eye has been the major point of London's New Year celebrations, with fireworks fired from the wheel itself. The London bid organisers announced the Olympic emblem would be attached to the Eye for the duration of the 2012 Summer Olympics. On the 5th of June 2008 it was announced that 30 million people had ridden the London Eye since its opening.

The Rate Of The Ride
Adults ( 15-60)
£15.50
Child ( 5-15)
£ 7.75
Under 5
-Free-
Seniors ( over 60)
£14.00

Juliette