Tuesday, August 25, 2026

Question: The Pacific Wheel on the Santa Monica Pier is the only Ferris wheel of its kind in the world. What makes it one of a kind?

Answer: It runs on the sun. The Pacific Wheel is the world’s only solar-powered Ferris wheel, a distinction dating to its 1998 debut. More than 650 solar modules generate over 71,000 kilowatt-hours of renewable power to operate the wheel, which also puts on nightly LED light shows.