Big Wheel in London

At 440 feet high, the biggest (tallest) wheel in Europe is the London Eye, a giant Ferris wheel in London on the banks of the Thames. It is located just north of the London Aquarium and Westminster Bridge, across the river from Big Ben. Since its opened in 2000, the Eye has been the most popular paid tourist attraction in the United Kingdom.

The eye is actually a giant bicycle wheel with spokes of high strength steel cable. Each of its 32 glass cars can hold two dozen people. A trip around takes about an hour.

Originally, the Eye was to be an attraction that operated for five years, but based on its initial popularity a continuing license was issued. The Eye's financial viability is based on having a corporate sponsor. Since 2000 it has had multiple sponsors, including initially British Airlines and today Coke.

These photos were taken in 2008 when we took an evening spin on the Eye.