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Texas Star

Ferris Wheel at State Fair of Texas, Dallas, Texas. Opened 1985.

Height
212 ft
Drop
n/a
Top speed
n/a
Length
n/a
Inversions
n/a
Ride time
n/a
Designer
SDC

The Texas Star is a Ferris wheel at Fair Park in Dallas and one of the best-known rides of the State Fair of Texas. The fair describes it as a 212-foot wheel and the largest Ferris wheel in Texas, and it runs during the fair each fall.

The wheel was built by SDC Corp. of Reggio Emilia, Italy, and debuted at the 1985 State Fair. It has 44 gondolas carrying up to 264 riders. From 1985 until 2013, when the 250-foot Star of Puebla opened in Mexico, it was the tallest Ferris wheel in North America.

The Texas Star is not owned by the fair. It has belonged to the Brown and Talley family since it opened, and Talley Amusements operates it as a permanent attraction at the State Fair of Texas.

Sources

  • bigtex.com/plan-your-visit/attractions-events/midway (Official: the iconic 212-ft. Texas Star Ferris wheel, the largest Ferris wheel in Texas, on the State Fair Midway.)
  • talleyamusements.com/attraction/texas-star (Operator: Texas Star over 212 ft tall; opened 1985; made by SDC; owned by the Talley / Brown family since it opened; permanent attraction at the State Fair of Texas.)
  • en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas_Star (Wikipedia: built by SDC Corp., Reggio Emilia, Italy; debuted 1985 at the State Fair of Texas; 44 gondolas, up to 264 passengers; tallest Ferris wheel in North America until the 250-ft Star of Puebla opened in July 2013; owned and operated by Talley Amusements (as of 2024); gives the height as 216 ft.)

Numbers are from the ride's manufacturer and park where published; "n/a" means we have not confirmed that number yet. Spotted an error? Tell us.