A star Down Under

Smaller, transportable versions of this rotating observation ride have been common at fairgrounds for a century or more, but the installation of really big, fixed wheels (sometimes deemed Giant Observation Wheels) didn't start in earnest until the 1990s. The London Eye opened in 2000 and really got the trend rolling, and now it seems every big city is giving this crowd-pleaser a whirl. Melbourne joined the revolution in 2008 with its Star wheel. It carries 21 enclosed cabins, each with a 20-guest capacity, and rises nearly 400 feet above the docklands area of the city.