CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) — Inside the old IMAX at Navy Pier, a 48,000-square-foot transformation is underway to bring FlyOver — a new, immersive, flying ride experience — to Chicago.
Navy Pier CEO Marylin Gardiner said the $40 million ride will let patrons soar over iconic locations and natural wonders.
“Coming to Chicago, beginning of 2024, we will be able to experience literally the sensation of flying over our incredible city,” Gardiner said.
FlyOver Attractions by Pursuit Vice President Lisa Adams said the flying journey will be filmed via drone this summer and will feature state-of-the-art projections and special effects.
“We’ll spend time in the neighborhoods in act one and act two, and then we’re taking you on the wings of a bird through the city of Chicago in a way that you’ve never seen before,” Adams said.
Adams said the ride will have three different levels and 62 seats.
“You and your friends will sit down, put your seatbelt on, and then the ride vehicle will roll out, and you’ll be hanging inside the 65-foot spherical screen, which will go all the way around you and underneath you,” she said.
The ride will be located directly across from the Chicago Children’s Museum. A promotional video included a few drone shots of classic Chicago locations: Lake Michigan, the ferris wheel at Navy Pier, the Chicago Theater, bridges on the Chicago River and more.
Officials said the ride will give patrons an entirely new perspective on the city.
“The central story is going to be about Chicago,” Adams said. “Real-life Chicago: The soul, the spirit, the people and the places, and it’s going to culminate in this exhilarating flying journey through the urban canyons of Chicago.”
FlyOver already has rides in Vancouver, Iceland and Las Vegas. The Chicago location is scheduled to open next spring.
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