Grouse Mountain’s new Blue Grouse Gondola will officially open to the public on Thursday, capping two years of construction.
The new gondola includes 27 cabins, each of which whisks eight people to the top of the mountain in about five and a half minutes.
Grouse Mountain Resort says the new lift, which can carry 1,000 people per hour, will significantly cut lineups and wait times to get to and from the mountain.
The project replaces the original Blue Skyride aerial tram, which opened in 1966 and made its last journey up Grouse this past summer.
Visitors to the mountain will have the option of riding in the new gondola, or in the iconic 58-year-old Super Red Skyride, one of North America’s largest aerial tramway systems.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new gondola is scheduled for Thursday afternoon.
Earlier this year, Grouse Mountain Resort announced it was building a new mountain bike park and gravity-fed alpine coaster, attractions scheduled to open in spring and summer of 2025.