Swiss Sky Ride
In one of the highest rides at the Fair, cabins holding four passengers each are suspended on cables 113 feet in the air. The cables run between the Korean and Swiss pavilion; a one-way trip covers 1,875 feet, takes four minutes and provides panoramic views not only of the fairgrounds but of Manhattan Island. Tickets may be purchased at booths near the two pavilions.
While aerial rides are common today at theme parks and fairs, in 1964 the Swiss Sky Ride was a novel form of transportation. It was also one of the largest such systems ever built, with four sets of cables crossing the Fair site. This allowed the operators to run the full ride on busy days while reducing capacity to half of the system on lighter days.
The ride towers provide an easy way to identify the year a photograph was taken. They were white in 1964 and re-painted red in 1965. (CD #54 Set 230 #10)
Not only was the Swiss Sky Ride fun, but it was also a photographer's dream, affording some wonderful views of the Fair. (CD #13 Set 63 #31A)