Soaring 125 feet over Canton: What's it like atop the Hall of Fame Village Red Zone wheel?

Ed Balint, The Repository
·3 min read
A view from atop the Red Zone Ferris wheel-style ride at the Hall of Fame Village in Canton. The ride, formerly at the I-X Center in Cleveland, was scheduled to open to the public Friday during the Shamrock Shindig St. Patrick's Day event.
A view from atop the Red Zone Ferris wheel-style ride at the Hall of Fame Village in Canton. The ride, formerly at the I-X Center in Cleveland, was scheduled to open to the public Friday during the Shamrock Shindig St. Patrick's Day event.

CANTON − A gondola on the big wheel ride at Hall of Fame Village offers a view unlike any in Stark County.

From 125 feet high, it provides a unique and exhilarating vantage point of the landscape. Trucks and cars on Interstate 77 in the distance appear to be miniature. The multi-story Constellation Center for Excellence is far below to the southeast. Same for the Center for Performance sports dome. Rooftops of neighboring houses become tiny.

Sure, downtown Canton has a few tall buildings offering grand views, but sitting on the giant wheel roughly nine stories up is a different experience than a window or balcony view. Gusts of wind are invigorating. The gondola gently rocks. If heights aren't your thing, queasiness will grip your stomach. Either way, you'll feel like a slice of Cedar Point has been moved to Canton.

Red Zone, a Ferris wheel-style ride that is part of Play-Action Plaza, was scheduled to open Friday, weather dependent, during the Shamrock Shindig event at the Center for Performance, 1901 Champions Gateway, in celebration of St. Patrick's Day.

No regular operating hours have been set for the Red Zone ride. Check the Hall of Fame Village's social media accounts for more information and updates.

Play-Action Plaza also includes a zipline called Forward Pass. A third football-themed ride is planned for this year; details will be announced later, said John Lytell, director of public affairs for the Village.

Thursday offered test rides for staff at the Village and a few other guests.

The cost for riding the Red Zone wheel has not been announced yet.

The Red Zone ride at Play-Action Plaza was scheduled to open Friday at the Hall of Fame Village in Canton. The cost of riding the wheel has not been announced yet.
The Red Zone ride at Play-Action Plaza was scheduled to open Friday at the Hall of Fame Village in Canton. The cost of riding the wheel has not been announced yet.

More:Giant Ferris wheel, zipline planned for Hall of Fame Village

More:Visit Canton opens welcome center at Hall of Fame Village with mural and souvenirs

Wheel ride used to be at the I-X Center in Cleveland

The Village acquired the wheel ride from the I-X Center (International Exposition Center) in Cleveland. Contractors were hired to condition the machinery and provide any required maintenance.

Last year, pieces of the amusement park-style ride were transported to the Village and reassembled. The wheel is named Red Zone because it has 20 gondolas, a reference to the 20-yard area in front of an end zone.

More:Giant wheel is coming together at Hall of Fame Village

Michael Crawford, president and CEO of the Hall of Fame Resort and Entertainment Co., was the first person to ride the wheel earlier this week.

Colored lighting will illuminate the wheel at night, assuring it will stand out and become a signature of the Hall of Fame Village skyline. Colors will glow green tonight in celebration of St. Patrick's Day, Village officials said.

The Red Zone wheel ride is 125 feet high and features 20 gondolas. Formerly located at the I-X Center, the ride was scheduled to open to the public Friday during the Shamrock Shindig.
The Red Zone wheel ride is 125 feet high and features 20 gondolas. Formerly located at the I-X Center, the ride was scheduled to open to the public Friday during the Shamrock Shindig.

Red Zone ride is latest attraction at entertainment campus

Red Zone and the roughly 3-acre Play-Action Plaza are part of the Hall of Fame Village entertainment campus being developed around the Pro Football Hall of Fame and Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium.

Village attractions include Don Shula's American Kitchen, which is scheduled to open for dinner on March 21 and 22 before opening for both lunch and dinner thereafter. Other tenants will include The Brew Kettle craft brewery, a Pizza Oven restaurant, Topgolf Swing Suite, Smoosh Cookies and a BetRivers sports betting site, which is expected to open this summer.

Construction started late last year on a $100 million-plus football-themed indoor waterpark. Work on an adjacent hotel is expected to begin this year.

Riding the Red Zone wheel offers a spectacular view of the Hall of Fame Village, an entertainment campus developed around the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton.
Riding the Red Zone wheel offers a spectacular view of the Hall of Fame Village, an entertainment campus developed around the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton.

Reach Ed at 330-580-8315 and ebalint@gannett.com

On Twitter @ebalintREP

This article originally appeared on The Repository: Hall of Fame Village debuts new Red Zone Ferris wheel-style ride