[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.