My family had the privilege of being some of the first people to ride on the Skystar Observation Wheel (55 E. Freedom Way Cincinnati, OH 45202) on opening day, Saturday September 1. The Skystar is a portable ferris wheel that has 36 gondolas, each enclosed gondola cycles four times. The views of downtown Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky are spectacular. There is plenty of parking in front of the Skystar ferris wheel, which is on Freedom Way across from the Freedom Center. Tickets are $12.50 adult, free for ages two and younger.
We arrived while the final inspection was going on, so it was fun for my kids to watch that! Once the inspection was complete, we were given our orange tickets and ushered to the front of the line. From the street we watched the ferris wheel with awe as it spun around. Our breath was taken away when we got to climb into our private gondola that comfortably seats six adults. I must also add that my kids were the first kids to ride on the Skystar in Cincinnati!
When the the gondola stopped at the top, we got to view downtown from 150 feet up in the air. It was neat looking out at the river and seeing all the boats parking and getting stationed for Riverfest. The highlight, though, was seeing a full rainbow from the very top of the Skystar.
The Skystar is open daily Monday – Thursday 4 – 11 p.m., Friday 4 p.m. – midnight, Saturday 10 a.m. – midnight and Sunday 10 a.m. – 11 p.m. It will be in Cincinnati until December 2. Be sure to check it out during fun Cincinnati events such as Oktoberfest and sporting events. After riding the Skystar, you can also enjoy one of the many restaurants along the river. We went to Pies and Pints, which was very family friendly. Smale Park is another fun thing to do while downtown. Don’t let the season go by without checking out the Skystar. For tickets and for more information, visit https://www.skystarwheel.com/.