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Ohio runs circles around the rest as a carousel capital. BY DAMAINE VONADA
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n the United States, the golden age of carousels lasted
like an Ohio State University horse. It’s also home to a leading
roughly from 1880 to 1925 and generated more than 3,000
merry-go-round manufacturer, Carousels and Carvings in
of the enchantingly colorful and musical rides — of which
Marion, which repairs, restores, and creates entire carousels.
only about 150 have survived. Ohio, in fact, is a wellspring of whirligigs: home to numerous historic carousels, as well as modern ones that flaunt figures with a decidedly local spin —
Since July 25 is National Carousel Day, we’ve assembled a sampling of Ohio’s carousels. These timeless attractions are poetry in motion and fun for young and old alike.
COURTESY OF CEDAR POINT
Cedar Point’s Terrific Trio Amusement parks often brag about possessing one classic carousel, so how special is it that Cedar Point owns three? Built in 1912, the Midway Carousel (shown at left) is Cedar Point’s oldest operating ride. It’s on the National Register of Historic Places and offers 60 horses that are rare examples of master carver Daniel Muller’s handiwork. Also on the National Register, Kiddy Kingdom Carousel, created in the 1920s by William Dentzel, includes the exquisite king-armored horse that was selected for a U.S. postage stamp. Cedar Downs is one of only two working racing derby carousels in the United States. Made by Prior and Church in 1920, it features 64 dashing steeds atop a giant turntable.
www.cedarpoint.com 32 OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • JULY 2021
