Carousel

A carousel, also called a merry-go-round or galloper, is a fun amusement ride. It has a round platform that spins around, and people sit on seats attached to it. Most of the time, these seats look like animals, especially horses, that move up and down as if they are galloping. Sometimes, the seats are chairs or benches, or they might look like airplanes or cars. While the ride turns, it often plays circus music that repeats in a loop.

The word carousel comes from a French word meaning "little battle." This name comes from old European tournaments where riders on horses would try to win by doing tricks like ring jousting. Later, people made wooden machines with horses on them so riders could practice without tiring out real horses. These early rides became popular at fairs in Europe and then spread to North America. They became common at traveling carnivals and some of the first amusement parks.

In the past, most carousel animals were made from wood and carved and painted by hand. Later, cheaper materials like aluminum and fiberglass were used instead. Today, many carousels still operate around the world and are often used to represent the whole amusement park industry.

History

Early carousels

In the 1600s in Europe, rich people held fun events called "carrousels" to celebrate special occasions. One famous event was held by King Louis XIV in 1662 to celebrate the birth of his son. These events included games where people tried to throw rings around sticks while riding horses.

To help people practice these games without real horses, someone made a wooden device with horses that moved up and down. This was powered by an animal or person walking around it. Soon, these wooden rides became popular at fairs and gatherings across Europe. The animals on these rides hung from chains and swung out as the ride spun.

19th century

By the middle of the 1800s, carousels changed to have a flat floor with animals and chariots fixed to it. These were called "dobbies" and were turned by hand or by small horses. In the United Kingdom, these rides usually turned clockwise, while in North America and Europe they turned counterclockwise.

United Kingdom

In 1803, a man named John Joseph Merlin had a carousel in his museum in London. The horses moved up and down as the ride turned and played music. Later, an inventor named Frederick Savage improved carousels by adding parts that made the animals move up and down like galloping horses. He also made other fun rides and helped create the classic carousel we know today.

United States

The first known carousel in the United States opened in the 1840s. In 1871, William Schneider received the first American patent for a carousel, and July 25 is now celebrated as National Merry-Go-Round Day. Many carousel makers in the United States were immigrants from Europe, and they created different styles of carousels in places like Coney Island, Philadelphia, and country fairs.

20th century

During the Great Depression, wooden carousel animals were replaced with stronger aluminum ones, and later with even lighter fiberglass animals.

Carousels today

Thousands of hand-painted, wood-carved carousels were built from the 1870s to the early 1930s. Today, fewer than 200 of these amazing rides still exist. During that time, many carousels had mechanical band organs for music and special brass ring games to make the ride more fun. These features are now very rare. Carousels are still made and enjoyed all around the world. They are often used to represent all amusement rides, like the carousel horse logo used by the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions until 2018. Some special carousels have even won the NCA's Historic Carousel Award.

In popular culture

• The main character in the 1945 Broadway musical Carousel is a carousel barker.
• In the big scene of Alfred Hitchcock's 1951 film Strangers on a Train, the two main characters are on a carousel.
• In the 1963 film Charade, a carousel can be seen in the background near the end.
• In the 1964 film Mary Poppins, Mary, Bert, and the two Banks children ride a carousel. The carousel horses then float off and take the riders on adventures.
• The children's TV show The Magic Roundabout, which aired from 1965 to 1977, has a carousel as a key part of its story.
• The 1973 film The Sting shows a large indoor carousel next to a special kind of shop.
• The House on the Rock carousel near Spring Green, Wisconsin, built in 1981, is claimed to be the largest indoor carousel in the world.
• David Carradine's 1983 film Americana is about a Vietnam War veteran who becomes very interested in fixing up an old carousel.
• In the 1983 film Something Wicked This Way Comes, riding the carousel backwards makes the riders one year younger each time.
• The children's TV program Playdays featured a carousel named Rosie, looked after by Mr. Jolly, in episodes from 1992 to 1997.
• In the 2011 Australian children's book The Carousel by Ursula Dubosarsky, a child sees the carousel horses break free and gallop across the world after a ride.
• In 2014, American singer Melanie Martinez used the word carousel in her song to describe love that keeps going in circles.
• The books in the series Kingdom Keepers: The Return by Ridley Pearson, published between 2015 and 2017, use the carousel from Disneyland as a way to travel through time.
• The second song on Travis Scott's 2018 album Astroworld is called "Carousel."