Sundays are fun days (even on a budget): Top 5 picks around the country for carousel rides

By: Paula Slade

Ever since the construction of the first American carousel, sometime during the 1840’s by craftsman, Franz Wiesenhoffer of Hessville, Ohio, their value as pure entertainment has not been topped.

Carousels, also referred by many, as merry-go-rounds or whirligigs (depending on what part of the country you hail from and your age) have been a constant delight for children.

If you are seeking affordable entertainment during these tough economic times, why not consider packing a picnic lunch, taking a drive and topping the day off with a spin in the park.

Some of the best carousels around the country (pun intended) are actually the most affordable and accessible by car or public transportation.

The vast majority of carousels and merry-go-rounds begin opening on Memorial Day weekend, so if I have left out your city on this short list, do not  despair.  The National Carousel Association has a handy  map locator, which provides a detailed description of a carousel in your area, and it includes opening dates along with hours of operation, plus telephone contacts for ticket prices.

To get your children primed for your entertainment outing check out Carousels.com, which is the definitive on-line source for everything regarding carousels. And, if you want to listen to some authentic carousel music such as a Wurlitzer Style 153 Military Band Organ, Carrousel Music (spelled the French way) of Chambersberg, Pennsylvania offers selections to sample on-line along with their compact discs.

Here are my top picks for this Sunday. Just click on the link or call for additional information and directions. And, by the way, have a great time. A carousel ride is one thing in life you are never too old to do.

Griffith Park Merry-Go-Round in Los Angeles, California boasts 68 exquisitely decorated, jumping carved horses with the finest and largest musical selections. Open 11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Saturday and Sunday  year round and every day during summer. Cost: $2.00 per ride (children under 11 months are free), located in Griffith Park Center, (323) 665-3051.

Bushnell Park Carousel in Hartford, Connecticut is a 95-year-old Stein & Goldstein antique gem that has “6 jumper horses (going up and down), 12 standers (stationary horses), two chariots, and a Wurlitzer 153 band organ.” Open 11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.. Cost: $1.00 per ride, located in downtown Hartford, Bushnell Park, (860) 585-5411.

Tilden Park Merry-Go-Round in Berkley, California on the beautiful grounds of Tilden Regional Park; this merry-go-round is a well preserved antique, with distinctive calliope music. Open 11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. weekends only, through the end of September. Cost: $2 per ride or $10 for 7-ride ticket book, (510) 524-6773.

Central Park Carousel, New York, New York - right in the center of Central Park, approximately 64th Street and 6th Avenue; it is a Stein and Goldstein designed/built  beauty that has the largest hand-carved figures ever constructed for a carousel. Open 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.. Cost: $2.00 per ride.

The Paragon Carousel, 205 Nantasket Avenue, Hull, Massachusetts, is another antique treasure at 81-years of age, and was built by the Philadelphia Toboggan Company in 1928, special hours this Sunday. Cost: All rides free on May 3rd; call for additional pricing and hours, 781-925-0472.

Richland Carrousel, Mansfield, Ohio at the corner of 4th and Main; it is the “first new, hand- carved carrousel to be built and operated in the United States since the 1930's.”  It has 30 horses, 22 menagerie figures, which include four bears, four ostriches, four cats, four rabbits, a goat, giraffe, lion, tiger, zebra and a “mythical hippocampus” plus a Stinson Band Organ. Open May 1-Labor Day, Monday-Thursday 10:00 a.m. –5:00 p.m, Friday 10:00 a.m.- 8:00 p.m., Saturday 10:00 a.m.- 5:00 p.m, Sunday 11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.. Cost: .75 cents per ride, 3 rides for $2.00 or 8 rides for $5.00.

Take a virtual ride (below) on the Bushnell Carousel. The real thing is even more exciting, and it's a great entertainment value for creating a memory that will last a lifetime.