Rediscover Jacksonville: Big Eli Ferris Wheel serving generations Dominic Genetti, dominic.genetti@hearst.com FacebookTwitterEmail Dominic Genetti You can’t tell by looking at it, but the Ferris wheel in Jacksonville’s Community Park is more than 100 years old. It has entertained citizens for generations — connecting them in a special way to their grandparents and great-grandparents, and all the great memories of days gone by. “This used to be out in Nichols Park,” David Fisher, a member of the Jacksonville Rotary Club, said. The Rotary Club has owned and operated the wheel since the late-1950s. “I can remember riding it when I was a little kid. We would go out there and have a family reunion picnic, and me and all the cousins would get herded over to the Ferris wheel. I think it was a nickel to ride at that time.”