After a 20-year run, Navy Pier's Ferris wheel is coming down to make way for a new, taller ride that will be built next summer. Workers will begin to take the ride apart on Monday, so this weekend is your last chance to take a spin. Starting at 10pm Saturday through 9:45am Sunday, you can ride the iconic wheel for free. Perhaps this is the perfect opportunity for a crisp, mellow date night under the stars before we enter frigid Chiberia.
The wheel has an interesting history. The current amusement was built in 1995. It was inspired by the world's first Ferris wheel, which was constructed for the Columbian Exposition in Chicago in 1893. The original 264-foot structure was invented by George Washington Gale Ferris Jr. and was again presented at the 1904 World's Fair in St. Louis until it was slated for demolition in 1906. It also made an appearance in the 2014 post-apocalyptic film Divergent as a dilapidated structure, so that was kind of cool.
Should you miss the free ride this weekend you still have a chance to try out the wheel on Sunday for the regular price from 10am to 8pm.