By Andrew Liszewski
When it comes to ferris wheels, it doesn’t get more iconic than the Pacific Ferris Wheel at the Santa Monica Pier. But what goes up must eventually come down, and in this case the old ferris wheel came down to make way for a new energy-efficient model that boasts 160,000 animated LEDs. The new wheel, which cost the city $1.5 million, made its debut over the Memorial Day weekend and will continue to use the solar panels that powered the old wheel which was erected in 1996. And speaking of the old Pacific Wheel, it was actually disassembled and put up for sale on eBay, where it was bought by an Oklahoma City real-estate developer for $130,000. He plans to incorporate it into a mixed use residential community, and half of his winning bid will be donated to the Special Olympics of Southern California.
[ Inhabitat – Santa Monica’s New Solar Powered LED Ferris Wheel ]
