Wheel of Manchester facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Wheel of Manchester |
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Wheel of Manchester in 2014
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| General information | |
| Status | Demolished |
| Type | Ferris wheel |
| Location | Piccadilly Gardens, Manchester city centre, England |
| Completed | 2004 (first installation) |
| Opened | 2004 |
| Closed | April 2015 |
| Demolished | June 2015 (most recent installation) |
| Height | 52.7 metres (173 ft) (current) |
The Wheel of Manchester was a giant Ferris wheel that used to be in Piccadilly Gardens in Manchester, England. It was like a big, fun ride that could be moved from one place to another.
The first version of the wheel was put up in 2004 in a different spot called Exchange Square. It was smaller then. In 2007, the wheel got bigger, reaching about 60 meters (197 feet) tall!
The wheel was taken down in 2012. This was to make space for celebrations during the 2012 Summer Olympics and for new tram lines (called Manchester Metrolink). In 2013, a new, slightly smaller wheel, about 52.7 meters (173 feet) tall, was put up in Piccadilly Gardens. This last wheel was taken down in June 2015.
Contents
History of the Manchester Wheel
Early Years: 2004 to 2007
The very first Wheel of Manchester was set up in 2004. People really liked it! Because it was so popular, a much bigger wheel was built in May 2007. This new wheel was 60 meters (197 feet) tall.
The Big Wheel: 2007 to 2012
The larger wheel came back in May 2007. A local newspaper, the Manchester Evening News, helped pay for it. There were even ideas to build an even taller wheel, maybe 120 meters (394 feet) high, by 2011. But these plans never happened.
Later, the company running the wheel changed. It became known as The Capital Wheel of Manchester because of a deal with Capital FM radio.
The 60-meter wheel was removed in April 2012. The people who owned the wheel wanted to move it to Piccadilly Gardens. But the Manchester City Council said no. They worried it would take up too much space. The Council also felt the wheel had been around long enough.
They needed the space in Exchange Square for a few reasons. They wanted a place for people to watch the 2012 Summer Olympics. Also, there was construction for new tram lines and other building projects nearby. After its last day on April 15, 2012, the wheel was taken apart and moved to Edinburgh, a city in Scotland.
Not everyone was sad to see the wheel go. Some people thought it was time for something new. A famous Manchester person named Tony Wilson didn't like the wheel at all. He said it "ruins a perfectly good square."
The Final Wheel: 2013 to 2015
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In 2013, a new Wheel of Manchester came back to the city for New Year's celebrations. This time, it was placed in Piccadilly Gardens. This wheel was 52.7 meters (173 feet) tall.
However, there was a problem between the city council and the wheel's owners, Wheels Entertainments. The permit to operate the wheel ran out in April 2015. Because of this, the wheel was taken down in June 2015.
