May 27, 2008 9:44 pm US/Pacific
New Ferris Wheel To Debut At Pier Wednesday
SANTA MONICA PIER
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Out with the old and in with the new: A new Ferris Wheel will be introduced Wednesday night.
AP
At the Santa Monica Pier Wednesday night it will be out with the old and in with the new.
The operators of the Pacific Park will debut their spanking new, glittery and expensive ($1.5 million if you're keeping score at home) Ferris Wheel.
The night sky will be lit up by the new ride's 160,000 lights. But even better, the operators of the Park will de-light wannabe riders with a free ride.
The previous wheel was auctioned on eBay at $132,400, with half the proceeds going to Special Olympics Southern California.
During Wednesday's 8:30 p.m. dedication ceremony, Pacific Park officials will also present a check for $65,000 to Special Olympics. After the ceremony -- and a light and fireworks show -- visitors will be able to ride the Ferris wheel for free from 9:15 p.m. to midnight.
Like its predecessor, the new wheel will be solar powered, and its lights will be 75 percent more energy efficient than the previous wheel's.
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