Abstract: There are disclosed improvements in the passenger unit for a ski lift such as a chair and the like to incorporate a swivel mechanism in the standard which supports the lift chair from the traveling, overhead cable. The swivel mechanism includes a swivel actuator which can be a hydraulic system to rotate the chair, permitting the occupant to rotate from a forward facing position and turn his back to wind, driving snow and the like or to change his direction of view. The ski lift also includes a mechanism for automatically restoring the forward direction of the passenger unit at the disembarking station or at any other preselected portion along the ski lift.