On Thursday I was invited to attend the VIP and Media event for the opening of the Capital Wheel at National Harbor before it opened up to the public on Friday.
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I went with Katie from DisneyKatie.com who also happens to be my sister-in-law. The weather ended up being perfect without the rain that they had called for. Warm and breezy but not humid which is perfect for a night on the water. (If I HAD to complain about something it would be that it was breezy and I had to put my hair up.)
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It was a gorgeous evening while we watched the sun set behind the Capital Wheel. While we waited for it to get dark, we enjoyed fresh bites to eat  from Wolfgang Puck Catering, live music, and fun entertainment.
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The Capital Wheel

  • Located right on the waterfront at the end of the boat dock
  • 42 climate -controlled Gondolas so you can ride in comfort year-round
  • Each Gondola fits up to 8 people; so 332 people can be gliding through the air at one time
  • 180 feet tall
  • Open daily/year round
  • $15 for adults/$11.25 per child ages 3 – 11/Free for children ages 2 and under/Military & Senior tickets are $13.50
  • The Capital Wheel does not accept cash so Master Card, Visa, Discover only
  • The gondola door is 30 inches wide and we have a ramp that allows wheelchairs to roll directly into the gondola
  • Picture by Kodak are available for an added charge (I LOVE mine and will let my kids get them when we go)
We got to see a Red, White, and Blue light show honoring the USO. Some USO families were in attendance and were able to be the first to board and ride.
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Riding The Capital Wheel

The ride lasted about 15 minutes and rotated about 5 times. It was plenty of time to take pictures, and enjoy the view from every side. We rode with two other people and we switched sides half way through the ride so that we could get a good view all the way around. It was dark when we rode but it was beautiful to see. I want to go back and ride during the day so that I can see downtown DC. We could see where the Washington Monument was but in the dark we couldn’t get pictures of it.
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I am definitely taking my kids and husband as soon as we can. Even the kids that are nervous of heights will love this. I think I will take them down and spend the day at National Harbor. We can have lunch, the little ones can ride the carousel, we can do a little shopping, and we can all ride the Capital Wheel.
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