Capital Wheel

[1] The wheel was conceived by National Harbor developer Milton Peterson and inspired by the Roue de Paris.

[2] Built by Chance Rides of Wichita, Kansas, it has an overall height of 180 feet (54.9 m)[3] and sits on a 770-foot-long (230 m) pier extending into the adjacent Potomac River, easily visible to passengers on flights to or from National Airport.

[2] Landmarks visible from inside the wheel include the National Harbor, the Washington Monument, the city of Alexandria, and Georgetown University.

[2] The wheel has programmable special-effects lighting and seasonal concessions at the base of the ride from the Wolfgang Puck restaurant chain.

The gondolas have interior lights and two-way, individual communication with the operator, and their doors open facing the harbor, for an unobstructed view of the Washington Monument, U.S. Capitol, Alexandria, Virginia, and Prince George's County, Maryland.

The Capital Wheel in 2014.
The Capital Wheel has 42 climate-controlled gondolas. The wheel has 1.6 million fully programmable LED lights