Whether you've been lucky enough to ride the London Eye, or if it's still on your to-do list, you're bound to love these facts! The London Eye is one of the most iconic buildings in London, and maybe even in the whole world. But there's more to it than spectacular views and great photo ops - we bet you'll be surprised at least once when you read these amazing facts! Don't forget to check out the rest of the site for more mind-blowing fun facts - learn all about the River Thames, or the Great Fire of London!

1. It opened in 1999

The London Eye will celebrate its 25th birthday on the 31st of December 2024! It was officially opened by then-Prime Minister Tony Blair on the 31st of December 1999, and it was built as a celebration of the millennium. In fact, it was originally called The Millennium Wheel (you might hear some people call it this even today - the O2 Arena was originally called The Millennium Dome, too!). It was supposed to open straight away, but it didn't open to the public fully until March, because there was a technical issue with the capsules.

2. It's a ferris wheel

Ferris wheels are staples of every fairground - but they've actually not been around for very long! The first Ferris wheel appeared at the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago, in 1893. It was named after the architect, George Washington Gale Ferris Jr. Ferris wheels became very popular in other fairs and exhibitions, because they were thrilling and also a great way to see across the landscape. The London Eye wasn't the first big wheel London ever had! In 1895 London hosted a World's Fair called The Empire of India Exhibition, which featured a 94 metre tall wheel. It had 40 passenger cars, and stayed until 1906! Some will point out that the London Eye is not technically a Ferris wheel as it's built on a cantilevered system (which means the pods are supported on only one side by a mechanical arm).

3. It started out in a design competition

The London Eye has a few things in common with the Eiffel Tower, and one is that it started as part of a design competition! It was designed by husband-and-wife team Julia Barfield and David Marks for a 1993 Sunday Times competition to create a monument to the upcoming millennium. Nobody won the competition, because the Sunday Times said that none of the entries showed enough imagination (yikes!). Barfield and Marks disagreed, and decided to build the wheel themselves. They proposed the design to British Airways, who funded the project and helped to obtain the planing permissions. The design is supposed to represent the cycle of life, and give Londoners and tourists a fun experience and a unique view of the city.

4. It was supposed to be temporary!

This is another similarity the London Eye shares with the Eiffel Tower - neither were meant to be permanent structures! It was intended to stand in the Jubilee Gardens by the Thames for about five years, but Lambeth Council gave it a permanent license in 2002 after it proved such a huge success!

5. It can carry 800 people at a time!

The Eye can carry an amazing 800 passengers at once, in its 32 pods. The number of pods represents the number of London boroughs. Officially speaking, it actually has 33 pods - there is no pod 13, because it's considered unlucky!

6. It's owned by Merlin Entertainments

The London Eye was originally owned by Marks Barfield Architects, the Tussauds Group, and British Airways. It is currently owned and operated by Merlin Entertainments, who bought and merged with the Tussauds Group in 2007. Merlin Enterainments owns a LOT of cool attractions all over the world, including Madam Tussauds, the Dungeons, Legoland, Alton Towers, Thorpe Park, Cadbury World, and Shrek's Adventure!

7. It has a special capsule!

One of the 32 capsules was renamed to commemorate Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee. It was named the Coronation Capsule, and decorated in red. This isn't the only time the pods have had a makeover though - in March 2020 the Eye celebrated 20 years by theming its pods to different aspect of London life. These included a pub, a garden, and a West End theatre!

8. It's heavy!

The Eye weighs in at 1,900 tons! Each capsule weights about 10 tons, so a lot of its heft comes from the impressive framework. Each of the cables weighs about 1.5 tons on its own!

9. And tall!

The Eye stands at 135 metres tall, and for a while the London Eye also offered the highest public viewpoint in London, but it was overtaken by the Shard (309.6 metres tall in total) in 2013. The circumference of the wheel is 424m - so if you unrolled it, it would be taller than the Shard (and also you'd be in a lot of trouble with the Met Police)!

10. It takes thirty minutes to go around

The Eye rotates at a gentle pace of 0.6mph, so a complete trip all the way around takes about thirty minutes. It doesn't usually stop to let passengers on, as the pods move slowly and smoothly enough for passengers to walk on and off, though it will pause for guests who need extra time.

11. It lights up!

The London Eye is a key feature of London's nighttime cityscape, and you can always see it illuminated in the dark. The illuminations change depending on certain events. When Coca-Cola began its sponsorship of the London Eye, it was lit up bright red on the day it was announced. It was also lit in red, white and blue for Prince William and Kate Middleton's wedding in 2011, pink in 2005 to celebrate the legalisation of same-sex civil partnerships, and blue on every Thursday in March 2020 to support essential workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

12. It's SO popular!

The London Eye welcomes about 3.5 million visitors every single year, which makes it the most popular paid attraction in the UK! The most popular unpaid attraction is the British Museum, with more than 6 million visitors each year).

13. It's a romantic spot!

Can you think of anything more romantic than a proposal in one of the London Eye pods? Well, maybe at the top at the Eiffel Tower, but it's gotta be a close second! It's hard to say how many proposals have happened, but the number is certainly in the thousands. If you want to splash the cash when you're ready to pop the question, you can rent a private pod with champagne, flowers and even a small choir, starting at £1600! The Eye has also offered weddings in the past, and hopes to start them again in the future.

14. It's the sixth biggest Ferris wheel in the world

For a while the London Eye was the tallest Ferris wheel in the world, but it lost its crown to the Star of Nanchang in Nanchang, China in 2006! Nowadays the tallest Ferris wheel in the world is the Ain Dubai in Dubai at an amazing 250m - but it's no longer in operation as of 2022. This means that the tallest operating Ferris wheel in the world is the High Roller in Las Vegas, which is 167.6m. The London Eye is still the tallest cantilevered wheel in the world, though - the others have their cars attached to the rim on both sides.

15. It's eco-friendly!

The London Eye has gone green - literally and figuratively! It changed all its lighting to reduce electricity consumption by 69%, and also uses sustainable oil and environmentally-friendly cleaning products and grease for its moving parts. This helps to lessen pollution in the Thames. The Eye also lit up green in 2022 to celebrate its 100% LED lighting and carbon-free status!