Sky Whirl
Sky Whirl was the name of two Triple Tree Wheel amusement rides that debuted at the California's Great America (in Santa Clara, California) and Six Flags Great America (in Gurnee, Illinois) amusement parks in 1976. The former ride closed in 1997, the latter in 2000. Both rides were manufactured by Waagner-Biro and brokered by Intamin.[1] [2]
The ride resembled a huge tree with three arms – each arm supporting a wheel, or "spider," — carrying 12 passenger cars. Two wheels were spinning in the air while the third was on the ground loading.[1][3]
History
Both rides opened in 1976.[1] The Santa Clara ride, which appeared in the 1994 movie Beverly Hills Cop III, was renamed Triple Wheel before it closed in 1997.[1] The Gurnee ride, which reached a height of 110 feet,[4] closed in 2000.[1][5]
References
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- 1 2 3 4 5 "Sky Whirl". Great America Parks.
- ↑ "Waagner-Biro Double and Triple Wheels". Amusement Parkives. February 8, 2018. Retrieved July 2, 2018.
- ↑ Peterson, Craig (October 18, 2000). "Six Flags Gets Ok For New Roller Coaster". Chicago Tribune.
- ↑ GURNEE ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS October 25, 2000 Archived March 12, 2006, at the Wayback Machine.
- ↑ "Marriott's Great America". Theme Park Timelines. Archived from the original on 2015-01-18.