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Fun Friday: Tilden's Merry-Go-Round
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Continueing the tradition at Tilden's Merry-Go-Round
Yesterday, I followed my own advice and ended up in Berkeley’s Tilden Park. It’s one of the many parks in the East Bay Regional Parks District, but it holds so many childhood memories for me, it’s one of my personal favorites.
How could it not be a great childhood memory with it’s Steam Train Ride, swimming at Lake Anza, Pony rides, and of course The Carousel!
Tilden’s carousel sits in a picturesque little valley, with an expansive grassy area for family picnics. Picnic tables are also available, but while in the presence of this beautiful antique ride, why not have a picnic the old fashioned way – spread out a blanket and settle in for the afternoon.
The carousel is a beautiful antique ride, with hand carved and hand painted wooden animals, which was built by the Herschell – Spillman Company of North Tonawanda, New York in 1911. The carousel had a rather long journey before it ended up in Berkeley. It was built for Ross Davis and started it task of bringing joy to children and romantics of all ages at a Trolley park in Urbita. It then visited San Diego for a time, but due to unfavorable weather was dismantled and stored until 1935. It spent a couple of years at Griffth Park in Los Angeles but ultimately ended up in storage again. Fortunately, in 1948 it arrived at Tilden Park here in Berkeley; where it found the love and support it needed as well as its permanent home.
The carousel was momentarily threatened once again with storage in 1976, but the community rallied and with a good deal of public support to “Save The Carousel” it survived to give joy and happiness to children and romantics once again. It’s heart breaking to think of this marvelous machine ever being dismantled and put into storage. Fortunately it has been purchased by the Parks Department and in 1978 the Tilden Merry-Go-Round was added to the National Register of Historic Places.
There is a lovely little Gift Shop reminiscent of by-gone days attached to the Merry-Go-Round - staffed by the sweetest people - so if you just happen upon it without a full picnic you can get a bit to eat and drink, including popcorn and a great big stick of Cotton-Candy! They can also arrange for a magical carousel birthday party for your little ones if you’d like.
So grab your top hat or ball cap and head over to the Merry-Go-Round. You don’t have to be Mary Poppins to jump into a magical, imaginary horse race – you just have to be a child or a wonderful romantic.
The carousel is open daily from 11:00 to 5:00PM call 510-524-6773 for more information.
Photo credit to Emily Hills
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