{"id":850369,"date":"2026-06-07T09:03:27","date_gmt":"2026-06-07T09:03:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/850369\/"},"modified":"2026-06-07T09:03:27","modified_gmt":"2026-06-07T09:03:27","slug":"ribbon-cutting-held-for-restored-phoenix-wheel-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/850369\/","title":{"rendered":"Ribbon-cutting held for restored Phoenix Wheel"},"content":{"rendered":"

PHOENIXVILLE \u2014 The Phoenix Wheel, the oldest Ferris wheel in existence, is finally home and ready for visitors.<\/p>\n

Dignitaries held a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Saturday, June 6, to welcome the borough\u2019s newest attraction, expected to draw new visitors to town.<\/p>\n

The 133-year-old Phoenix Wheel delighted thousands of visitors to Asbury Park, the crown jewel of the Jersey Shore, for nearly a century from 1895 to 1988.<\/p>\n

\"JoinedJoined by local dignitaries, Barbara Cohen, with scissors in hand, gets ready to cut the ceremonial ribbon for the dedication on June 6. (Photo by Barry Taglieber \u2013 For MediaNews Group)<\/p>\n

Steelworkers in Phoenixville originally crafted the Wheel\u2019s steel components in 1893. Now, through the efforts of the Schuylkill River Heritage Center, the vintage Wheel proudly rose again, as a 78-foot-high, 68-foot-wide permanent sculpture in the center of Phoenixville.<\/p>\n

\"TheThe American flag flies high thanks to the Phoenixville Fire Department as the Phoenix Wheel is in the foreground. (Photo by Barry Taglieber \u2013 For MediaNews Group)<\/p>\n

In October 2025, ground was cleared at the Wheel\u2019s site adjacent to the town\u2019s Borough Hall, with Phoenixville borough overseeing site improvements. Local engineer Thomas Zeigler and Gern Jaeger, owner of Specialty Metals, managed the Wheel\u2019s restoration, reassembly and installation.<\/p>\n

\"PeoplePeople walk around and look at the bricks that were displayed in a rounded seating area next to the Phoenix Wheel. (Photo by Barry Taglieber – For MediaNews Group)<\/p>\n

The Phoenix Wheel was reassembled with its original steel components, including baskets and structural supports.<\/p>\n

The Phoenix Wheel will be illuminated and its base surrounded by glass fencing. Interpretive signage will detail the Wheel\u2019s storied history and recognize the support of donors.<\/p>\n

\"EngineerEngineer Thomas Zeigler, who was instrumental in the construction of the Phoenix Wheel, speaks to the crowd at the ribbon-cutting ceremony. (Photo by Barry Taglieber \u2013 For MediaNews Group)<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Phoenix Wheel\u2019s revival is more than just restoring an artifact,\u201d said Barbara Cohen, president of the Schuylkill River Heritage Center, a non-profit museum celebrating the industrial legacy of Phoenixville and the Schuylkill River. \u201cIt\u2019s about community, heritage, resilience, and the power of preserving Phoenixville\u2019s unique history for future generations.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"GernGern Jaeger of Specialty Metals Weding and Fabrication Inc in Phoenixville talks about how the Phoenix Wheel was restored. (Photo by Barry Taglieber \u2013 For MediaNews Group)<\/p>\n

Fundraising for the $2.2 million project continues.<\/p>\n

Bricks showing the names of people who donated toward the cost of the restoration were on display in a seating area next to the Phoenix Wheel.<\/p>\n

While the structure is now in its permanent location, there is still work to be done around the site, and officials have not said when the wheel will be operational and ready for riders.<\/p>\n

\"AA large crowd gathered for the dedication and ribbon-cutting of the Phoenix Wheel on June 6. (Photo by Barry Taglieber \u2013 For MediaNews Group)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"PHOENIXVILLE \u2014 The Phoenix Wheel, the oldest Ferris wheel in existence, is finally home and ready for visitors.…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":849876,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[5131],"tags":[5229,5643,1587,9630,728,2830,1589,347128,29079,67,586,132,5230,68,2969],"class_list":["post-850369","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-phoenix","tag-america","tag-arizona","tag-az","tag-chester-county","tag-local-news","tag-pennsylvania","tag-phoenix","tag-phoenixville","tag-top-stories-mer","tag-united-states","tag-united-states-of-america","tag-unitedstates","tag-unitedstatesofamerica","tag-us","tag-usa"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/116708024592478270","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/850369","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=850369"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/850369\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/849876"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=850369"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=850369"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=850369"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}