Santa Monica Ferris Globe
- For Earth Day, Pacific Park converted its Ferris wheel into a 90-foot spinning globe on the Santa Monica Pier. - The display used 174,000 LED lights and ran from sunset to midnight on April 22. - The event was highlighted as a public-facing Earth Day visual and encouraged outdoor visits around the holiday (smdp.com).
Pacific Park turned its Ferris wheel into a 90-foot spinning globe for Earth Day on April 22, lighting up the Santa Monica Pier from sunset to midnight. (smdp.com) The one-night display started at about 7:31 p.m. on Wednesday and used green-and-blue Earth imagery tied to this year’s Earth Day theme, “Our Power, Our Planet.” (smdp.com) The Pacific Wheel’s lighting system uses 174,000 light-emitting diode bulbs mounted across 40 spokes and two hubs, and Pacific Park said the system can show 16.7 million color combinations at up to 24 frames per second. (smdp.com) Pacific Park describes the ride as a solar-powered Ferris wheel, and the Earth Day programming framed the globe image as a public display about renewable energy and environmental stewardship on the California coast. (pacpark.com, santamonica.com) The display also fit Santa Monica’s broader Earth Day calendar, which included local events across the region and free Metro rides across Los Angeles County on April 22. (mynewsla.com, msn.com) Pacific Park said its light system uses 81% less energy than traditional incandescent Ferris wheel bulbs, and the park has promoted the wheel for years as part of its sustainability branding. (smdp.com, patch.com) The park, at 380 Santa Monica Pier, operates as an admission-free amusement park with 12 rides and 14 midway games, making the wheel one of the most visible public-facing attractions on the pier. (smdp.com, santamonicapier.org) By midnight, the globe was gone, leaving Earth Day in Santa Monica marked by a temporary image on one of the city’s most photographed landmarks. (santamonica.com, smdp.com)
