La Grande Roue de Montreal
On my most recent trip to Montreal earlier this month, I noticed that there is now a huge Ferris Wheel in the Old Port of Montreal. Since I was just recently in Atlanta and rode Skyview Atlanta, I wanted to ride La Grande Roue de Montreal to compare. I always loved carnival rides and being paralyzed and in a wheelchair, there aren’t many easy, safe and accessible options for us. Ferris Wheels are one of my must dos if I ever come across one and just hope I can get in one. Luckily, La Grande Roue de Montreal is wheelchair accessible.
Location
La Grande Roue de Montreal or The Montreal Big Wheel (in English) is located at the Old Port of Montreal as previously mentioned. It is really close to other attractions including the Montreal Science Centre, with an IMAX theatre, and the Montreal Clock Tower. There is a long riverfront pathway that is popular with tourists, cyclists, roller-bladers and more. Lots of events take place around this area, including the annual Le Grand Poutinefest, which we also attended.
annual Poutinefest and other seasonal events located right by
About La Grande Roue de Montreal
La Grande Roue de Montreal was opened in September 2017 and is about 60 meters or 20 storeys tall. Hours of operations are 10am to 11pm everyday. Tickets are $25 per adult and there are options of paying $12.50 more to get the fast pass to skip the line. When we went, it was early evening on a Monday and there weren’t any lines. Ticketing options also gave you the choice to ride the Big Wheel twice: once in the day and once in the night for $37.50. There were also yearly memberships and family discounts. We were good just seeing it the once. There is also an attached Bistro & Cafe that offers sandwiches, pizzas, pastas, ice cream, coffee and baked goods. We each had a hot chocolate after our ride.
a look at one of the cabins
Getting In
Getting inside the cabin was a lot simpler than at Skyview Atlanta. We just had to use the ramp at the front, to just wheel up to the gondola. When the cabin opened, I immediately noticed that the gondola floor was level to the platform. I was surprised that no portable ramp had to be brought out like my previous experiences. Again both sets of seats could be folded up so I could get my wheelchair positioned in. After I was in on the one side, the other seat was folded back down so my buddy could sit.
no ramp needed to wheel inside the cabin
The Cabin
Regular cabins can carry up to 8 passengers and can be booked as a private cabin. There are also VIP cabins that can carry up to 4 passengers which include a glass floor and ultra comfortable seats. All cabins have air conditioners, tempered glass anti-UV windows, and an emergency call button. When we went, it was a bit rainy and windy but the ride itself was still calm and comfortable and the whole experience lasted about 20 minutes.
roomy cabin holds up to 8 passengers
The Views
Even with the slight rain, the views were spectacular. There is glass on all 4 sides of the cabin and since we got to go around 4 times, I was positioned slightly different for each rotation so I could see everything. I actually would like to ride this at night next times to see the city lit up and all the lights of The Big Wheel.
looking out at the view
I highly recommend visiting La Grande Roue de Montreal to check out the beautiful scenic views of Montreal. The whole experience was quite nice and it is something relaxing and fun. This place was quite wheelchair accessible and definitely worth revisiting. I want to see it during the night.
rainy view
