The Marina del Rey Holiday Boat Parade sets sail this weekend. Photo by © Venice Paparazzi for the event.
Skirball Hanukkah Festival, Marina del Rey Holiday Boat Parade, and More Top Things To Do in Los Angeles This Weekend
Disney on Ice: Magic in the Stars glides into DTLA. Photo courtesy of Feld Entertainment.
19 Best Things to Do in Los Angeles December 2024 with Kids
Try sock skating at Kidspace Winter Frolic. Photo by Jamie Pham courtesy of the Museum
16 Must-Do Christmas Events and Holiday Activities in Los Angeles for Kids
Photo courtesy of Surfing Santa Contest via Facebook
GUIDE
Guide to Holiday and Christmas Events for Los Angeles Families
DTLA sparkles each night during the holiday season. Photo courtesy of The Bloc
45 Free Holiday and Christmas Events in Los Angeles for Kids
Enchanted: Forest of Light. Photo by Kathryn Rapier, courtesy of the event.
Best Holiday Lights Drive-Thrus and Christmas Light Shows in Los Angeles
Embrace the mess! Sloomoo Institute photo by Kylie Williams
NEW Sloomoo Institute Opens in Los Angeles for Kids to Enjoy Slime Fun
Get in the holiday spirit with a stroll through Candy Cane Lane in El Segundo. Photo by Gina Ragland
Best Neighborhood Christmas Light Displays and Holiday Lights in Los Angeles
Photo by Bill Soistmann
GUIDE
Los Angeles Visitors' Guide for Families
Dino Valley means jurassic fun in LEGOLAND for kids of all ages.
NEW Dino Valley in LEGOLAND is Open for T-Rex-Sized Fun
Dive into tons of fun in Long Beach. Photo courtesy of Aquarium of the Pacific
39 Things to Do With Kids in Long Beach
Dive into fun at the Cayton Children's Museum. Photo by Matthew Tucciarone
Best Children's Museums in Los Angeles and Orange County
Right this way to all the free fun in LA, especially at the Griffith Observatory! Photo by Gina Ragland
100 Fun Free Things To Do in Los Angeles with Kids
Everything at the Cayton has been carefully crafted with one goal in mind: to help create a better world through the power of play.
Guide to the Cayton Children’s Museum in Santa Monica–A Parent Review
This 3 day itinerary will make you fall in love with LA. Photo by Roberto Nickson, via Pexels
3 Days in Los Angeles with Kids: Ultimate Itinerary by a Local Mom
Imaginative play for preschoolers is music to our ears. Photo courtesy of Pretend City
39 Things To Do with Preschoolers in Los Angeles Before They Turn 5
Visit LACMA's Levitated Mass. Photo by Joey Zanetti
100 Things To Do in Los Angeles Before Kids Grow Up

Is that the London Eye in Long Beach? Giant Observation Wheel Visits Queen Mary

5/17/18 - By Toby B

Well take a look at that! An Observation Wheel—which is another way of saying a really huge Ferris wheel with a great view—is setting up shop in Long Beach next to the Queen Mary, for one month only. No mere amusement park ride (though we like those very much!), the Observation Wheel offers birds-eye views of the picturesque Long Beach sky line, the majestic Queen Mary, and beyond. This thing is so tall you may be able to spot the buffalo grazing on Catalina Island.

OUR LATEST VIDEOS

Sounds windy? Fear not! The cabins are fully enclosed and climate-controlled. I'll drink to that, because yes, you can buy drinks, including alcoholic beverages to sip while you enjoy the spectacular view. And at nighttime things are gonna get LIT, as in illuminated by over half a million LED lights. Stunning!

The rides last about 3 and a half minutes. Each cabin accommodates 6 to 8 adults. Kids under 4 ride free (and there are no height restrictions).

This wheel has gotten around: its previous stop was Coachella Valley for the desert music festival. At 50m/164ft-tall, La Grande XL is believed to be the largest traveling observation wheel in the Western Hemisphere. Fun Fact: the wheel was built in the Netherlands, and it took 22 containers to ship it over here!

Hmm, ocean liner with a royal heritage, our own observation wheel to rival London's Eye, what's next? All we need is a royal wedding  and we'll have accomplished an anglophile trifecta!

While you're taking in the view, you can get a look at some of Long Beach's other attractions. (Here are a few ideas to get you started.)

Big wheel keeps on turning, Queen Mary keeps on... floating in the harbor!

The Observation Wheel at the Queen Mary

Ticket prices: Adults (12- 59) $15; Seniors (60 and up), Military with ID, and Children (4 - 11) $10

The Observation Wheel is at the Queen Mary from Friday, May 18 through Sunday, June 17, 2018. Rides are available daily from 11am to 10pm.

 

Places featured in this article: