Attractions
The first Ferris wheel was built for the World's Fair by Gale Ferris. It was a direct response of the Eiffel Tower in Paris. A ticket to ride was fifty cents and had over 1.4 million riders. The Midway's most outstanding feature from afar was George Washington Gale Ferris's gigantic wheel ride -- the first Ferris wheel ever built. This was a direct response to Gustave Eiffel's tower for the Paris fair of 1889. The attraction featured 140-foot-high towers and a 250-foot-diameter wheel whose apex brought riders to a point higher than the crown of the Statue of Liberty. For fifty cents each, 1.4 million riders went for two revolutions. |
One of the most popular destinations on the Midway was Cairo Street. There was Egyptian food and many forms of entertainment of Egyptian culture.
Cairo Street was a popular destination on the Midway. Visitors could eat Egyptian food and sweets, watch dancers perform, or go on a camel ride. The exhibit included a replica of the famous Temple of Luxor. Throughout the day and evening, Egyptian performers would enact ancient Egyptian ceremonies in the street for visitors to the fair. In one ceremony, an Egyptian couple actually married on the Midway. |