by Lauren Rogoff

Now that the weather is warmer and the sun is shining, it’s the perfect time to go outside and enjoy the springtime with your nieces and nephews.  What better way to have a laugh and a breathless good time, reliving your childhood, than by taking your niece or nephew to a nearby carousel?  Invoking whimsy and nostalgia, these timeless treasures are as popular as ever.  We’ve compiled a list of some wonderful carousels around the country that would make great destinations for a wonderful afternoon outside.  If none of our favorites are near you, check out the National Carousel Association’s Carousel Index.

Jane’s Carousel, Brooklyn, NY
This carousel was originally built in 1922 and installed in Youngstown, Ohio, and has been being painstakingly reconstructed in Brooklyn for 27 years.  The carousel sparkles with 1,200 twinkling lights and beautifully painted, ornate saddled horses.  The ponies are delightfully detailed, with gold-leaf sparkling and with glass-eyed, elegant faces on each horse.  This will be a lovely ride into the past for your niece or nephew!

Arkansas Carousel, Little Rock, AR
The Arkansas carousel is the jewel of the Little Rock Zoo.  This go-round is the only one of its kind in the world, featuring a fully operational wave, or ‘over-the-jumps’ style, with an undulating track.  It was created early last century and first appeared at the 1924 Arkansas State Fair.  The undulating track moves up and down, with the horses attached to the track, as opposed to standard carousels, where horses are attached to poles that move up and down to create the motion.  Join your niece or nephew in this unique carousel experience!

Crescent Park Carousel, East Providence, RI
This historic carousel has 66 gorgeous hand-carved figures designed in 1895 by Charles I.D. Looff. This carousel has been a national landmark since 1987.  It has been proclaimed by Rhode Island General Assembly as "The State Jewel of American Folk Art."  The horses are beautifully detailed and restored, and watching your nieces and nephews enjoy it will feel completely timeless.

The Tom Mankiewicz Conservation Carousel, Los Angeles, CA
This carousel in the LA Zoo, which has a menagerie of 66 animals, was inspired by the zoo’s endangered species.  Instead of traditional horses, figurines are puffins, tapirs, scarab beetles, all of them whimsical, varied and charming.  Each wooden animal was hand-carved and painted by the Carousel Works in Mansfield, Ohio.  Revenue from carousel rides goes towards zoo conservation; it’s a great way to teach your niece and nephew about nature while having a blast.

Flying Horses Carousel, Martha’s Vineyard, MA
This is the oldest platform carousel in the United States, and has been designated a national landmark.  As a ‘platform’ carousel, the horses do not go up and down as they do on modern carousels.  It was constructed in 1876 by Charles Dare and was originally operated as an amusement for the park in Coney Island, New York. It was moved to its current location in 1884.  The original horses had real horsehair manes and tails, and the eyes of each horse contained a tiny hand-carved animal.  These wonderful details still remain today.  This carousel lives inside a barn, so would be ideal to visit on a day when the weather is not as perfect as your nieces or nephews might like.

Published: April 4, 2012