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# Over two million people have ridden Ferris wheel
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/over-two-million-people-have-ridden-ferris-wheel/
- Published: 2002-09-21T15:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-23T00:44:54.000Z
- Author: Guest Author
- Tags: local, Pier, #archive-import

*By Daily Press staff*

YOU may have been the two millionth rider on Santa Monica Pier’s Ferris wheel this summer.

Officials have announced that Pacific Park has surpassed its two millionth rider mark, amidst no fanfare. They didn’t even stop to get the name of the rider.

“It was a very low key thing,” said Pacific Park spokesman Cameron Andrews. “We did-n’t want to disrupt everyone and those things can be an inconvenience for the visitors. It was more about it being a milestone for the park.”

In 1998, Pacific Park converted its signature attraction to the world’s first solar powered Ferris wheel. Edison Technology Solutions’ decision, along with Pacific Park, to make the conversion was influenced because the pier is highly visible throughout the world, officials say.

The project is part of an on-going effort to turn Santa Monica into the nation’s first “solar city,” according to amusement park officials.

The conversion was made with more than 650 photovoltaic panels placed strategically throughout the park to generate the 71,00000 kilowatt hours of renewable power from the sun’s rays. The panels are enough to keep the 160 riders revolving and more than 6,000 lights illuminated during a 24-hour period.

The wheel lifts riders 130 feet above the Pacific Ocean and is 85 feet wide.

*Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on September 21, 2002.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/092102.pdf?ref=smdp.com)