Golden Gate Ferris wheel moving to Fisherman’s Wharf
The SkyStar Observation Wheel in Golden Gate Park closed Sunday evening in anticipation of a move to Fisherman’s Wharf, where it is expected to open Nov. 10 as an attraction for the AsiaPacific Economic Cooperation summit hosted by San Francisco.
The relocation of the 150-foot-tall Ferris wheel was announced on the SkyStar website, and dismantling has begun. But the move has not yet received full approval, according to Eric Young, spokesperson for the Port of San Francisco, which is the lead agency on the transfer.
Young told the Chronicle on Monday that both the San Francisco Planning Department and the Bay Conservation and Development Commission have yet to sign off on the relocation to a port-owned triangle parking lot next to the Boudin Bakery on the waterfront.
Young said a decision is expected by the end of the week.
“We appreciate the work they are doing to meet the timeline,” Young said, “but there are still some permits that need to be obtained.”
The move was instigated by SkyView Partners, the St. Louis-based operators of the amusement. Supervisor Aaron Peskin, who represents the northern waterfront, has endorsed the plan, but a spokesperson for Peskin reiterated Monday that nothing has been finalized.
The relocation plan was announced in September, and is intended to be timed to the opening of the APEC Economic Leaders’ Week, which runs Nov. 11-17.
The SkyStar came to the Music Concourse as an attraction for the 150th anniversary celebration of Golden Gate Park in 2020. That celebration was canceled due to the COVID-19 quarantine, but the SkyStar arrived anyway, under a one-year contract that was later extended for the operator to recoup costs lost during the pandemic shutdown.
The SkyStar website specifies that any tickets to ride the SkyStar in the park will be honored at the new location. The move date for the giant wheel has not yet been firmed up, but it will not likely return to the park, said a spokesperson for the Recreation and Park Department.