I rode the new Ferris wheel in Golden Gate Park. Here's what it was like

Editor's Note: Following the announcement that San Francisco has moved to the red tier based on COVID-19 cases and hospitalization rates, the SkyStar Observation Wheel will resume operations on Thursday, March 4 at noon. This story originally ran on Oct. 22, 2020.

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Since March, a 150-foot Ferris wheel has sat eerily motionless in Golden Gate Park. But on Wednesday, San Franciscans finally lined up to take a spin on the park's new attraction.

"It's been a long journey, I guess, but the world flipped upside down on everyone, not just us," said Todd Schneider, managing partner of SkyView, the company that owns the wheel. "We're happy to call San Francisco home right now. Everybody's just been cooped up and craving something to do, so we're happy to be here and deliver some fun in a responsible way."

Officially dubbed the SkyStar Observation Wheel, the attraction is meant to evoke another wheel that graced the park back in 1894, during the California Midwinter Fair. That one was 120 feet — at 150 feet, this one is the largest wheel to ever be set up in California. It took two and a half years to build, and a fleet of 14 trailer loads from Cincinnati.

At a press event the night before the wheel opened to the public, Mayor London Breed debuted it with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and a speech about her experience growing up with parks in San Francisco.

"Every now and then, a teacher would bring us on field trips to Golden Gate Park. We came to Golden Gate Park, slid on the big slide, we’d be lucky if someone left their cardboard behind, we went to the old de Young Museum and the old Academy of Sciences," said Breed. "And as we celebrate 150 years ... the point is our parks stand the test of time. Our parks are what create the magic that makes us love San Francisco so much."

Before the pandemic, the plan was for the observation wheel to open on April 4 with a free admission day to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Golden Gate Park. Over six months later, the wheel's launch was a little more pared-down and cautious — but the mood in the air on Wednesday still felt celebratory.

Wheel-goers stood in a long, socially distanced line stretching through the park's Music Concourse for the first ride at noon. Passengers had to reserve tickets in advance for a specific time slot — the first five days, for which admission is discounted from the usual $18 to $10 per person, are already sold out. Three very excited young children and their parents reported they had gotten to the park two hours early to be first in line (and yes, they were first).

As my time on the wheel approached, staff quickly sanitized the gondolas in between passengers.

The six-seat gondolas are enclosed and temperature-controlled (equipped with both air conditioning and heat), but small windows at the top were open to allow some airflow.

That said, you shouldn't have to worry too much about swapping germs with strangers, as you're only supposed to ride with your household, and masks are required.

“We have all kinds of protocols, from the social distancing to the handwashing stations to the taking peoples’ temperature when they come on,” said Schneider. “We’re wiping down the gondolas in between every ride, and we’re wiping down the high-traffic areas, the rails and stuff, every hour.”

After I boarded my gondola, the massive white wheel rotated quickly up into the air, rising above the top of the California Academy of Sciences until its lush green roof was in full view.

Sandwiched between the park's two museums — on my other side was the de Young — we eventually rose to just a tad higher than its observation tower.

The views only got better from there. At the top, swiveling my head around like a frantic owl to take in all 360 degrees before we descended, I could see the blue waters of the bay and a slice of red from the Golden Gate Bridge, the Presidio, Sutro Tower and Twin Peaks, the Transamerica Pyramid and Salesforce Tower — pretty much any San Francisco landmark, you name it.

As we descended back toward the tops of the park's endless cypress trees, my only complaint was that the 12-minute ride felt too short.

Will the view be disappointing when, inevitably, that famous San Francisco fog rolls in? Probably. But on a beautiful, 70-degree and sunny October afternoon, it wasn't half bad. And if you're trying to see your city from a new point of view, it doesn't hurt to do so when a pandemic prevents legions of tourists from standing in your way.

"I think it's just an escape for [San Franciscans] to have some fun and look at their town a little differently," said Schneider. "And it's not the tourists that are coming out, it's the locals. It's their park."

Reservations for the SkyStar Observation Wheel can be made from noon to 10 p.m. Monday to Friday and 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday to Sunday at www.skystarwheel.com. Starting Oct. 26, tickets will be $18 for adults and $12 for seniors and children.