When Olivia Chan celebrated her 4th birthday, she expected a routine family stroll through Irvine Spectrum Center. Instead, the Westpark girl became part of local history.
Walking past the promenade, Kevin and Sally Chan discovered the new Spectrum SunWheel was quietly welcoming its first passengers for a soft opening. The family purchased tickets, making Olivia the attraction’s first paid rider.
From the top of the cabin, Olivia peered through the protective glass to point out cars and the giant orange balloon rising over Great Park. For her parents, the ride bridged a generational divide.
“I grew up riding the old wheel in high school,” says Kevin Chan, a longtime Irvine resident. “It’s iconic. This one feels bigger, and it feels good to be the first ones to experience it.”
The 132-foot attraction replaces the center’s original 108-foot Giant Wheel, which opened in 2002 and drew nearly 700,000 riders annually. Handcrafted in Casale di Scodosia, Italy, the SunWheel traveled through the Panama Canal before workers assembled it over the summer.
The structure carries 27 Andalusian-style gondolas, including one with ADA access. Built-in speakers pipe music and announcements into each gondola, while the exterior spokes house advanced LED systems capable of producing 16 million digital color schemes for evening light shows.
For decades, the wheel has been a signature feature of Irvine Spectrum Center, signaling to motorists on the 405 and 5 freeways that they are entering or leaving Irvine. At night, the new SunWheel’s light show adds some spectacle to the commute, giving returning residents a familiar landmark to look for on the way home.
“I grew up riding the old wheel in high school. This one feels bigger, and it feels good to be the first ones to experience it.”
Kevin Chan, Westpark resident
Sally Chan notes the safety improvements of the upgraded design.
From the wheel’s peak, passengers can take in sweeping panoramas of Irvine and beyond. The view stretches past the Mediterranean-style rooftops of Irvine villages to Wild Rivers and the ridgeline of the Santa Ana Mountains.
Irvine Spectrum Center officials say the updated landmark honors the property’s past while preparing for the future.
“The original wheel was the backdrop for 24 years of first dates, proposals and family milestones,” says Blake Windal, general manager of Irvine Spectrum Center. “This new SunWheel elevates that tradition. Watching a parent who rode here as a teenager now step aboard with their own child captures exactly why this landmark remains the heart of our community.”
