Santa Cruz 1911 Looff
Santa Cruz, California
The carousel features one of the few remaining brass ring machines in the country, and riders on the outside horses can still grab a ring (these days they’re made of steel) and try to throw it in the clown’s mouth!
Silver Beach Carousel Society (Carmel)
St. Joseph. Michigan
The Silver Beach Carousel, with its brass ring machine and forty-four hand carved, life-like horses began thrilling crowds of visitors in 1910. The three-row, Coney Island-style machine was built by Fred Dolle of North Bergen, New Jersey.
Atlantic Beach Park 1915 Herschell-Spillman
Misquamicut Beach, Rhode Island
The Looff Carousel was built in 1895 by Charles I.D. Looff. This is a stationary carousel (the "jumping" mechanism wasn't invented until 1888). What this carousel lacks in motion, it makes up for in speed (considered the fastest Looff made). Originally at Lee Funland in upstate NY, it was moved here in 1910. The carousel closed in 1967 and the city put the carousel up for sale in 1971. Miraculously, it was saved through community efforts and fully restored and reopened in 1979. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
New Missoula Carousel
Missoula, Montana
Ten years after "A Carousel for Missoula" broke new ground, the ponies are running as hot as ever, and the volunteer-driven project has become a city jewel.
Paragon Carousel PTC#85
Huss, Massachusetts
During the nineteenth century, a number of resort areas developed surrounding Boston to provide pleasure for its residents. In the late 1800s, Nantasket, or Hull, was known as the premier resort in New England, with the largest summer hotel in the nation. Rides, such as merry-go-rounds, were soon popular at resort locations. At the turn of the century, elegant amusement parks were built at Revere, Norumbega and Nantasket Beach. At one point, more than a dozen wooden carved carousels could be found in the Boston metropolitan area, close at hand by ferry or trolley.
Castle Amusement Park
Riverside, California
The Dentzel factory has been long remembered and highly praised in carousel history. The Philadelphia-style factory employed many of the principle carvers whose work is still honored today. The patriarch of the Dentzel factory, Gustav A. Dentzel, immigrated to Philadelphia in 1860. The 20-year-old had carved carousels for his father in Germany and he soon began practicing his trade in America.
Cafesjian's Carousel PTC#33
St. Paul, Minnesota
Cafesjian's Carousel was built in 1914 by Philadelphia Toboggan Company, and is known as PTC 33 because it's the 33rd machine they made. The company employed many German immigrants to do most of the carving and painting. The word "toboggan" in the company's name is an old term for roller-coaster, which was the company's original product.
Crossroads Village 1912 Parker
Crossroads Village, Michigan
American amusement king, Charles W. Parker (1864-1932) manufactured the Crossroads Village Carousel at Leavenworth, Kansas in 1912. The acquisition of this beautiful carousel was made possible by a 1983 grant of $175,000 from the C. S. Mott Foundation and it has proven to be a colorful, exciting, and musical addition to historical Crossroads Village.
Glen Echo Park
Glen Echo, Maryland
Glen Echo has always been an enchanting place for children. Activities for kids include puppet shows, children's theater, exploring nature, making crafts, romping in the playground and of course, riding the famous Dentzel Carousel.
Richland Carousel Park
Mansfield, Ohio
Richland Carrousel Park opened in 1991 as the first new, hand- carved carrousel to be built and operated in the United States since the 1930's. The Carrousel figures were carved in the style of G.A. Dentzel, one of the most revered carvers of the early 1900's. All 52 figures were designed, carved and painted by Carrousel Works in Mansfield, Ohio.
Salem's Riverfront Carousel
Salem, Oregon
The carousel was carved from basswood from the Linden tree. The Linden tree grows up to 130 feet with a trunk diameter of 2-3 feet. Fragrant blooms in summer attract bees. Perfumes and tea are made from the flowers. Basswood is soft, creamy, and even-grained. Woodcarvers say it "cuts like cheese". The bark is fibrous which makes its texture perfect for carving and painting. Native Americans used it to make cords, rope and matting from this wood.
Totally Kid Carousel
Riverbank State Park, New York
Then, in 1993 Milo Mottola was invited to send photographs of his artwork to the Percent for Arts program. The Percent for Art (a program of the New York Department of Cultural Affairs) was looking for an artist to build a carousel for the park. After looking at the work of hundreds of artists, they invited ten, including Milo, to create detailed plans of how they would build a carousel.
The Carousel-1912 Herschell-Spillman
New York State Museum, Albany, New york
This full-sized carousel was made between 1912 and 1916 by the Herschell-Spillman Company of North Tonawanda, New York, one of the leading manufacturers of carousels in America. It was first used in Wellsville, New York and later at Cuba Lake's Olivecrest Amusement Park in Cuba, New York.
Santa Monica Pier Carousel
Santa Monica, California
Designed and built in 1916 by Charles I.D. Looff, and faithfully restored in 1981 through 1984, The Looff Hippodrome carousel building is listed as a National Historic Landmark. Its Byzantine-Moorish California style, its setting overlooking the beautiful California coastline and the ocean attracts celebrities and tourists from all over the world, as well as children from everywhere.
Carousel of time. The Fox Trot Carousel
Nashville, Tennessee
The carousel started spinning in Nashville's Riverfront Park in November of 1998. Instead of ordinary merry-go-round characters, this popular attraction features 36 figures from Tennessee history.
Carousel Wonders
Direct: 520-548-2338
Email: carouselwonders@aol.com
