Opened in 1999 by Prime Minister Tony Blair, the London Eye is basically the Eiffel Tower of the UK, except just a bit scarier due to the fact that it rotates. I may be alone in this, but ferris wheels scare the crap out of me. There is something about the fact that they are held together by nuts and bolts that gives me visions of plummeting to my death. For this, and several other reasons I am pretty sure I was a carnie in a past life, but I digress. Here are 9 interesting facts about the London Eye.
The Eye took seven years and hundreds of people from over five different countries to build. So basically, they could have used Mariah Carey’s photoshopping team.
If the weather is clear, you can see up to 25 miles to Windsor Castle from the top. Maybe you can even see Kate Middleton’s baby bump, as well.
3.5 million people visit the London Eye every year. I truly hope they check those nuts and bolts often.
The London Eye can carry up to 800 passengers at one time. We have that in common.
There are 32 capsules on the Eye, each weight 10 tons. Insert joke about Snooki’s weight loss here.
Each rotation takes 30 minutes, which allows for passengers to step on and off without the wheel stopping. Again, we have that in common.
The circumference of the wheel is 1300 feet. I wish we had that in common.
The total weight of the London Eye is 2100 tons.
The total height of the London Eye is 442 feet, (about as high as 64 red telephone booths stacked on top of each other, or as long as Amanda Bynes’ morning rail of cocaine).
