London Eye

The London Eye is in London, a big city in the United Kingdom.

It is a giant wheel by the river. Glass pods hang all around it. People ride inside and go up, up, up, then slowly come back down.

The London Eye stands on the South Bank of the River Thames, in the part of London called Lambeth. It is an observation wheel, a giant wheel built for looking at the view, 135 meters tall.

Around its rim are 32 glass capsules, shaped like eggs, and each can carry up to 25 people. The wheel turns so slowly that it usually does not stop: people simply step on and off. From the top, riders can see landmarks like St. Paul's Cathedral, Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament. About 3.5 million people ride it every year.

Britannica describes the London Eye as a revolving observation wheel, or Ferris wheel, on the South Bank of the Thames in the borough of Lambeth, 135 m (443 ft) tall overall. It was the world's tallest Ferris wheel from 1999 until 2006, when the Star of Nanchang in China passed it, and Britannica says it is sometimes credited with sparking a worldwide revival of Ferris wheel building.

The wheel itself is 120 m (394 ft) across. Its 32 ovoid capsules match the number of London's boroughs; each holds up to 25 passengers and stays upright on motorized mounts as the wheel turns. At two revolutions an hour, it need not stop for boarding except for passengers with disabilities. The operator reports about 3.5 million riders a year.

The wheel has thin cables like the spokes of a bike wheel.

The glass pods stay upright as the wheel turns, so nobody tips over. There are 32 pods, one for each part of London called a borough.

Look at the wheel and you will see thin cables running from the rim to the center, like the spokes on a bicycle wheel. There are 64 of them. The capsules are made of glass, sealed and air-conditioned, and motors keep each one level as the wheel goes around.

There are 32 capsules, one for each of London's 32 boroughs, the areas the city is divided into. The wheel turns twice an hour, so a full ride around takes about half an hour. Since 2006, LED lights have made the wheel stand out at night.

The 120 m rim hangs from the hub on 64 tension cables, bicycle-wheel fashion. The 32 capsules, sealed, air-conditioned and oval, correspond to the 32 boroughs that, with the City of London, make up Greater London; each rests on motorized mounts that keep it upright. With two revolutions an hour, one turn takes about 30 minutes.

In 2006 a decorative LED lighting system was installed to make the wheel more prominent after dark. The wheel has had several names: originally the Millennium Wheel, then sponsored names such as the British Airways London Eye and the Coca-Cola London Eye. The operator reports that it has won more than 86 awards for tourism, architecture and engineering.

Today, millions of people ride the London Eye.

From the top, they can see famous places, like the big clock tower called Big Ben. On New Year's Eve, it is the center of London's big celebration.

The London Eye is one of London's most visited attractions, with about 3.5 million riders a year. From the capsules, people look out over the whole city, to landmarks such as Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament just across the river.

The wheel is also the centerpiece of London's New Year celebrations. In 2025 it celebrated its 25th birthday.

The operator reports about 3.5 million riders a year and calls the wheel a symbol of modern Britain and the centerpiece of the city's New Year celebrations; it marked its 25th birthday in 2025. Views from the capsules take in St. Paul's Cathedral, Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament.

Britannica counts it among London's most popular paid attractions. A structure designed to be temporary has become a permanent part of the skyline beside County Hall on the South Bank. Ownership has changed over the years: British Airways, Marks Barfield and the Tussauds Group were the first owners, Tussauds became sole owner in 2006, and the next year Tussauds was sold to the Blackstone Group, which folded the London Eye into its Merlin Entertainments Group.