I've ridden a lot of carousels, though they often differ in quality; the best machines have well-maintained paint jobs and a working band organ. There are also the rare few that allow you to try and catch the brass ring to win a free ride. I had seen this feature at Knoebels before, but I got to visit another ride with a ring machine last year! The Cass County Carousel in Logansport, Indiana is a squeaky-clean National Historic Landmark that also has an operational 1999 band organ.
The lion is the Dentzel trademark, and a similar figure can be found in most of his other works.
Like this one at Kennywood!
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| I like the design of this ticket booth. |
To add a little extra to this post, here's a look at the Knoebels Carousel Museum! Knoebels is proud of the fact that their museums are free! (They also tout free parking-free admission-free shows-free picnic facilities!!)
Knoebels is proud of its history, and they started this carousel museum in the early 90s to show the evolution of carousel carvings over time. It's completely unique to Knoebels and one of my must-do attractions when I visit the park.
These are all orphaned figures that have been collected by Knoebels over the years. Sadly, it's usually more profitable to auction off a carousel piecemeal than to sell it as a package.
The large scenic panel (the same style can be seen on the Cass County Carousel) came from West View Park, the amusement park 10 minutes from me that closed in 1977.
Knoebels has two amazing antique carousels and ten band organs. Attached to this museum is a gift shop with some of the best amusement park merchandise I've seen. By the way, when I went to Knoebels last year (pictures from 2019), I caught the brass ring for the first time, probably because my dad and I were two of the only people riding!
Carousels are some of the best rides at an amusement park when you stop to enjoy them, and of course, both young and old can appreciate a classic merry-go-round. It just makes it all the better when it's a classic ride with its original artistry intact.
7 comments:
These are all such beautiful carousel figures! That is kind of sad, seeing some of them just sitting there and not attached to a carousel. My aunt and uncle had an antique store in the 1970s and 1980s. They had quite a few carousel horses for sale, over the years. As a kid, I never really thought about where those horses came from.
What a great discovery, finding a carousel that you didn't even know existed! Stand-alone carousels and other such rides (like miniature trains) can be just as much fun as the ones found inside of full-on amusement parks!
Thanks for sharing your photos and your discovery with us, Andrew!
It is sad when you see a carousel figure in a store, TM!, but they look good on their own when displayed properly.
Standalone attractions are often just as good because they're maintained so well!
Great post Andrew. It is sad to see them alone, looking for a happy home among their fellow go-rounders.
Of course, I had to check out the goat carousel figures online, and there were some pretty cool ones.
Haven't ridden a carousel outside of Disneyland in many, many moons. Always made sure I rode it on every trip to the park. You're never too old.
Carousels always evoke images of one's childhood. Guess that's why we feel so enamored of them. Would love to check out that museum.
Thanks Andrew.
Thanks for the nice comment, DrGoat! I'm glad that I made you think about some old memories.
Andrew, thank you for another interesting post with beautiful photos!
I love the lions!
Have you ever heard of House on the Rock, in Wisconsin? I've been there a couple times and it's very unique and interesting, to say the least. It started out as one man's personal collection, but was later sold. They have two indoor carousels - one has 269 animals on it. You can see more about this place HERE! If you're ever in that area, it's a must-see because it is sooo different, and it takes hours to see everything.
Hi Sue, I have definitely heard about the House on the Rock, and it is very high on my bucket list! I first read about it in a school-age novel series that had kids visiting roadside attractions across America, and the climax was the characters running from a villain through its rooms. I couldn't believe that what I was reading was real!
Ok, thanks, Andrew! I do remember that post.
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