OCEAN CITY – A new Ferris wheel is the latest addition to an iconic resort amusement park.
This week, Trimper’s Rides announced the addition of “The Inlet Eye,” a nearly 150-foot-tall Ferris wheel with 36 enclosed gondolas.
Spinning for 10 minutes, the new amusement ride offers guests a never-before-seen view of Ocean City spanning 14 miles from Assateague to Fenwick.
Boasting 33,000 LED lights with 254,000 individual points of light, the Inlet Eye is one of the tallest structures in Ocean City and will mesmerize audiences both riding and admiring from afar.
“We are excited to have collaborated with Michael Wood, owner of Wood Entertainment, to bring the Inlet Eye to our park,” Trimper’s Rides President Antoinette Bruno said. “We are proud to host one of two Big Wheels in the United States.”
The Inlet Eye was manufactured in the Netherlands and traveled over 1,000 miles on 12 tractor trailers to arrive in Ocean City. It weighs over 400,000 pounds and contains five miles of electrical wire.
A family of four can ride the Trimper’s Inlet Eye for $25, single rider $10 for adults and $6 for children under 12. The Inlet Eye will also be included in pay-one-price wristbands.
The ribbon cutting ceremony for the Inlet Eye will take place Saturday, June 27, at noon at Trimper’s Rides in Ocean City.
Members of the public are encouraged to join for a day of fun, music by Marcella Peters, live performers and giveaways throughout the day. The first 126 guests, one for each year the amusement park has been open, will ride the Inlet Eye for free.
The addition of the Ferris wheel is one of many improvements that have been made at Trimper’s Rides since March, when it was announced the management of the historic amusement park had changed hands.
At the time, the Granville Trimper family, which has operated the park since the 1980s, announced a different branch of their family tree would be running Trimper’s Rides starting in the 2020 season.
Since 1890, the Trimper family has owned and operated the historic Trimper’s Rides amusement park and other businesses at the south end of the Boardwalk, collectively known as Windsor Resort Inc. At different times during the park’s 126-year history, various branches of the Trimper family – extending out in a long family tree from founder Daniel B. Trimper and his wife Margaret – have managed the park.
Daniel Trimper’s son, Daniel Trimper Jr., managed the Windsor Resort corporation after his father’s death. And in 1965, Daniel Trimper III was handed leadership of the park, which he ran until 1981. From 1981 to 2020, his cousin Grandville Trimper and family handled daily operations.
Earlier this year, the new management of Windsor Resort Inc. announced the addition of 11 new rides for the 2020 season, including Madagascar and Hang Ten, while still maintaining its historic attractions such as the 1902 Herschel-Spillman Carousel, Haunted House, Pirates Cove, Himalaya and the Tidal Wave that have been enjoyed for generations.
When asked this week if the Ferris wheel will be a permanent addition to the park, Bruno said it has yet to be determined.
