A Gyro Tower or Panoramic Tower is an evolution of the observation tower with a vertical moving platform. A Gyro Tower's observation deck is not simply raised to provide its passengers a spectacular view, it is also rotated around the supporting mast, either once in the raised position or while traveling up and down the center mast.
Gyro Towers are seldom part of funfairs but can be found more often in permanent amusement parks. A well known American Gyro Tower is the Kissing Tower at Hersheypark.
A special Gyro Tower is the Space Tower atop the Euromast in Rotterdam. It may be the only Gyro Tower standing on a roof of a structure and not on the ground.
Notable Gyro Towers
- Turmbahn am Toelleturm [1], Wuppertal, Germany (demolished in 1908)
- Sky Tower, Rhyl, United Kingdom
- Polo Tower, Morecambe, United Kingdom (Disused from 1999, passenger car removed in 2008)
- Kissing Tower, Hersheypark, Hershey, PA, USA
- Space Spiral, Cedar Point, OH, USA
- Carolina Skytower, Carowinds, NC/SC, USA
- Sky Cabin, Knott's Berry Farm, Buena Park, CA, USA
- Panorama Tower, Heide-Park, Germany
- Astrotower, Astroland, NY, USA (Possible removal by 2011)
- Space Tower, Minnesota State Fair, Falcon Heights, Minnesota, USA
- Space Needle, Daytona Beach Pier, FL, USA (On the beach, beside the pier)
- Infinito, Terra Mitica, Spain
- Panoramic, Plopsaland, Belgique (closed in 2009)
- Menara Taming Sari, Melaka, Malaysia (first gyro tower in Malaysia)
- Panoraama Linnanmäki, Helsinki, Finland
See also
- Top of the World - once the tallest transportable Gyro Tower in the world
- Euromast, Rotterdam - Gyro Tower running from 101 to 185 metre level
- Astroland, Coney Island (New York City)
- http://www.entertainmentdeveloper.com/tower.html
- http://www.cedarpoint.com/public/park/rides/tranquil/space_spiral.cfm
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