Their horses won't gallop off for a fox hunt like Mary Poppins' did,
but your kids are sure to enjoy a jolly holiday nonetheless as they
glide along on antique wooden ponies, lions, and bears! And you'll get
a trip down memory lane (plus some great
pictures). Here are the ten best carousels country-wide, courtesy of National Geographic's The Ten Best of Everything: Families:
1. Crescent Park Carousel
700 Bullocks Point Ave., Riverside, RI 02915, 401-435-7518
www.eastprovidenceri.net/boards/CrescentParkCarousel.php
Ride the flying steeds or magical chariots and capture the brass ring. Beautiful decorative panels, beveled mirrors, faceted glass jewels, and colored sandwich glass windows make this 1895 Looff carousel a masterpiece.
2. Flying Horse Merry-Go-Round
Bay St., Westerly, RI 02891, 401-348-6007
www.visitrhodeisland.com
This Watch Hill, R.I., carousel is the oldest in the country. Only children are permitted to ride these horses, which are hand-carved from a single piece of wood and feature authentic tails, manes, leather saddles, and agate eyes. Try to grab the brass ring!
3. Trimper’s Rides
South First St. & the Boardwalk, Ocean City, MD 21842, 410-289-8617
www.beach-net.com/trimpers
This is one of the oldest operating carousels in the country. Children love to choose from its menagerie of animals, including a cat, dog, frog, rooster, deer, goat, lion, tiger, ostrich, pig, and dragon.
4. Glen Echo Park
7300 MacArthur Blvd., Glen Echo, MD 20812, 301-634-2222
www.glenechopark.org/kids.htm
Located in the suburbs of the nation’s capital, this beautiful menagerie Dentzel carousel is a wonderful place to ride a tiger or giraffe. And, under the canopy of a thousand lights, within the circle of animals, a horse leads. Which one is it?
5. Midway Carousel
Cedar Point, One Cedar Point Dr., Sandusky, OH 44870, 419-627-2350
www.cedarpoint.com
Built in 1912, this park classic takes riders on a gentle ride up and down and around on a beautifully carved steed. The ride includes sixty horses and four chariots, four abreast.
6. Cedar Downs Racing Derby
Cedar Point, One Cedar Point Dr., Sandusky, OH 44870, 419-627-2350
www.cedarpoint.com
Who will cross the finish line first? Sixty-four horses race four abreast around the track, with each horse seeming to gallop independently. The momentum of the ride increases to reach a thrilling 15 mph.
7. Kiddy Kingdom Carousel
Cedar Point, One Cedar Point Dr. Sandusky, OH 44870, 419-627-2350
www.cedarpoint.com
For little ones only. This finely crafted Dentzel carousel boasts 16 standing and 36 jumping animals, two chariots, and a menagerie consisting of bears, rabbits, ostriches, a lion, a tiger, and a donkey.
8. 1909 Looff Carousel
Riverfront Park, 507 N. Howard St. Spokane, WA 99201, 509-625-6600
www.spokaneriverfrontpark.com
A 1909 Looff, this beautiful and well-preserved hand-carved wooden carousel is on the National Register of Historic Places. It features 54 horses, a giraffe, a tiger, and 2 Chinese dragon chairs. A favorite horse, Miss Liberty, is adorned in red, white, and blue and has a lunging, outstretched neck, giving her the look of speed.
9. Santa Monica Pier Carousel
1600 Ocean Front Walk, Santa Monica, CA 9029 301-458-8900
www.santamonicapier.org
Located on the Santa Monica Pier and housed in a historic Moorish-style shelter overlooking the ocean, this beautiful 1920s-era indoor carousel is gaily painted, with prancing horses, ponies, and chariots. Gleaming brass poles, festive lights, and mirrored panels evoke an earlier time. One hundred years old in September 2009, the Pier is a classic “SoCal” destination.
10. 1911 Looff Carousel
Santa Cruz Beach, 400 Beach St. Santa Cruz, CA 95060, 831-423-5590
www.beachboardwalk.com
Designated a National Historic Landmark, this 1911 Looff carousel features a working ring dispenser and boasts 73 uniquely hand-carved wooden horses. Interestingly, some smile and show their teeth, while others are more serious. Some are flower-draped; all have real horsehair tails. Located in Santa Cruz’s Beach Boardwalk. The distinctive carousel music is produced by antique band organs, including the Boardwalk’s original (and recently restored) 1894 organ.
Reprinted with permission of the National Geographic Society from the book
The 10 Best of Everything: Families by Susan Magsamen. Copyright ©2009 National Geographic Society.
Photo: Kim Baker
