A carousel or carrousel (mainly

North American English North American English (NAmE, NAE) is the most generalized variety of the English language as spoken in the United States and Canada. Because of their related histories and cultures, plus the similarities between the pronunciations (accents), v ...

), merry-go-round ( international), roundabout (

British English British English (BrE, en-GB, or BE) is, according to Lexico, Oxford Dictionaries, "English language, English as used in Great Britain, as distinct from that used elsewhere". More narrowly, it can refer specifically to the English language in ...

), or hurdy-gurdy (an old term in

Australian English Australian English (AusE, AusEng, AuE, AuEng, en-AU) is the set of varieties of the English language native to Australia. It is the country's common language and ''de facto'' national language; while Australia has no official language, Engli ...

, in SA) is a type of amusement ride consisting of a rotating circular platform with seats for riders. The "seats" are traditionally in the form of rows of wooden

horse The horse (''Equus ferus caballus'') is a domesticated, one-toed, hoofed mammal. It belongs to the taxonomic family Equidae and is one of two extant subspecies of ''Equus ferus''. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million y ...

s or other animals mounted on posts, many of which are moved up and down by gears to simulate

galloping The canter and gallop are variations on the fastest gait that can be performed by a horse or other equine. The canter is a controlled three-beat gait, while the gallop is a faster, four-beat variation of the same gait. It is a natural gait po ...

, to the accompaniment of

looped ''Looped'' is a play by Matthew Lombardo about an event surrounding actress Tallulah Bankhead. It had a Broadway run in 2010, after two previous productions in 2008 and 2009, all three of them featuring Valerie Harper. Plot Based on a real even ...

circus music Circus music (also known as carnival music) is any sort of music that is played to accompany a circus, and also music written that emulates its general style. Popular music would also often get arranged for the circus band, as well as waltzes, fox ...

. Carousels are commonly populated with horses, each horse weighing roughly 100 lbs (45 kg), but may include a variety of mounts, for example pigs, zebras, tigers, or mythological creatures such as

dragon A dragon is a reptilian legendary creature that appears in the folklore of many cultures worldwide. Beliefs about dragons vary considerably through regions, but dragons in western cultures since the High Middle Ages have often been depicted as ...

s or

unicorn The unicorn is a legendary creature that has been described since antiquity as a beast with a single large, pointed, spiraling horn projecting from its forehead. In European literature and art, the unicorn has for the last thousand years o ...

s. Sometimes,

chair A chair is a type of seat, typically designed for one person and consisting of one or more legs, a flat or slightly angled seat and a back-rest. They may be made of wood, metal, or synthetic materials, and may be padded or upholstered in vario ...

-like or bench-like seats are used, and occasionally mounts can be shaped like aeroplanes or cars. The names ''carousel'' and ''merry-go-round'' are also used, in varying dialects, to refer to a distinct piece of playground equipment.

History

Early carousels

The modern carousel emerged from early jousting traditions in Europe and the

Middle East The Middle East ( ar, الشرق الأوسط, ISO 233: ) is a geopolitical region commonly encompassing Arabian Peninsula, Arabia (including the Arabian Peninsula and Bahrain), Anatolia, Asia Minor (Asian part of Turkey except Hatay Pro ...

Knight A knight is a person granted an honorary title of knighthood by a head of state (including the Pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the church or the country, especially in a military capacity. Knighthood finds origins in the Gr ...

s would gallop in a circle while tossing balls from one to another; an activity that required great skill and horsemanship. This game was introduced to Europe at the time of the

Crusades The Crusades were a series of religious wars initiated, supported, and sometimes directed by the Latin Church in the medieval period. The best known of these Crusades are those to the Holy Land in the period between 1095 and 1291 that were in ...

from earlier

Byzantine The Byzantine Empire, also referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantium, was the continuation of the Roman Empire primarily in its eastern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, when its capital city was Constantinopl ...

and

Arab The Arabs (singular: Arab; singular ar, عَرَبِيٌّ, DIN 31635: , , plural ar, عَرَب, DIN 31635: , Arabic pronunciation: ), also known as the Arab people, are an ethnic group mainly inhabiting the Arab world in Western Asia, ...

traditions. The word carousel originated from the Italian ''Carosella'' and Spanish ''Carosella'' ("little battle", used by crusaders to describe a combat preparation exercise and game played by

Turkish Turkish may refer to: *a Turkic language spoken by the Turks * of or about Turkey ** Turkish language *** Turkish alphabet ** Turkish people, a Turkic ethnic group and nation *** Turkish citizen, a citizen of Turkey *** Turkish communities and mi ...

and Arabian horsemen in the 12th century). This early device was essentially a cavalry training mechanism; it prepared and strengthened the riders for actual combat as they wielded their swords at the mock enemies. By the 17th century, the balls had been dispensed with, and instead, the riders had to spear small rings that were hanging from poles overhead and rip them off. Cavalry spectacles that replaced medieval jousting, such as the ring-tilt, were popular in

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...

and

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

. The game began to be played by commoners, and carousels soon sprung up at fairgrounds across Europe. At the Place du Carrousel in

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

, an early make believe carousel was set up with wooden horses for the children. Another kind of carousel emerged in the 17th century in Belgium and France to celebrate special events. This was a ceremonial parade of knights and noblemen on horseback around a courtyard, accompanied by tournaments and various equestrian demonstrations and games, including the spearing of cardboard heads of "Moors" and "Saracens". The most famous carousel of this kind was held by Louis XIV in June, 1662, in the courtyard of the

Tuileries Palace The Tuileries Palace (french: Palais des Tuileries, ) was a royal and imperial palace in Paris which stood on the right bank of the River Seine, directly in front of the Louvre. It was the usual Parisian residence of most French monarchs, from ...

, to celebrate the birth of his son and heir. The site of the event, next to the Louvre, is still known as "the Carrousel". By the early 18th century carousels were being built and operated at various fairs and gatherings in central Europe and England. Animals and mechanisms would be crafted during the winter months and the family and workers would go touring in their wagon train through the region, operating their large menagerie carousel at various venues. Makers included Heyn in

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

and Bayol in

. These early carousels had no platforms; the animals would hang from chains and fly out from the

centrifugal force In Newtonian mechanics, the centrifugal force is an inertial force (also called a "fictitious" or "pseudo" force) that appears to act on all objects when viewed in a rotating frame of reference. It is directed away from an axis which is paralle ...

of the spinning mechanism. They were often powered by animals walking in a circle or people pulling a rope or cranking. By 1803 John Joseph Merlin had a carousel in his Mechanical Museum in London, where gentry and nobility liked to gather on winter evenings. The horses "floated free over a pole". It was connected to a "big musical instrument that played a fully orchestrated concerto" and from the first note, the carousel would start turning while each horse would make a galloping movement with a visitor riding on its back. Merlin did not patent his inventions and engineers were allowed to come to create their own models of his creations. File: Floris Carousel.jpg, Carousel feast at the Grand-Place in

Brussels Brussels (french: Bruxelles or ; nl, Brussel ), officially the Brussels-Capital Region (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) (french: link=no, Région de Bruxelles-Capitale; nl, link=no, Bruss ...

in 1565 to mark the wedding of the Duke of Parma File:Carrousel-LouisXIV-1662.jpg, The "Carousel" organised in the courtyard of the

Louis XIV , house = Bourbon , father = Louis XIII , mother = Anne of Austria , birth_date = , birth_place = Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France , death_date = , death_place = Palace of Vers ...

in June, 1662 to celebrate the birth of his son and heir, the future Louis XV

Direction of rotation

Merry go round - Tokyo Dome City Oct 15 2021

Viewed from above, in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

, merry-go-rounds, called ‘gallopers’ by the showmen community when populated by model horses, usually turn

clockwise Two-dimensional rotation can occur in two possible directions. Clockwise motion (abbreviated CW) proceeds in the same direction as a clock's hands: from the top to the right, then down and then to the left, and back up to the top. The opposite ...

(from the outside, animals face to the left), while in

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...

and

Mainland Europe Continental Europe or mainland Europe is the contiguous continent of Europe, excluding its surrounding islands. It can also be referred to ambiguously as the European continent, – which can conversely mean the whole of Europe – and, by ...

, carousels typically go

counterclockwise Two-dimensional rotation can occur in two possible directions. Clockwise motion (abbreviated CW) proceeds in the same direction as a clock's hands: from the top to the right, then down and then to the left, and back up to the top. The opposite ...

(animals face to the right).

Modern carousels

By the mid-19th century the platform carousel was developed; the animals and chariots were fixed to a circular floor that would suspend from a centre pole and rotate around. These carousels were called dobbies and were operated manually by the operator or by ponies. In mid-19th-century England, the carousel became a popular fixture at

fair A fair (archaic: faire or fayre) is a gathering of people for a variety of entertainment or commercial activities. Fairs are typically temporary with scheduled times lasting from an afternoon to several weeks. Types Variations of fairs incl ...

s. The first steam-powered mechanical roundabout, invented by Thomas Bradshaw, appeared at the Pot Market fair in Bolton in about 1861. It was described by a '' Halifax Courier'' journalist as "a roundabout of huge proportions, driven by a steam engine which whirled around with such impetuousity, that the wonder is the daring riders are not shot off like cannon- ball, and driven half into the middle of next month." Soon afterwards, English engineer Frederick Savage began to branch out of agricultural machinery production into the construction of fairground machines, swiftly becoming the chief innovator in the field. Savage's fairground machinery was exported all over the world."Frederick Savage, Victorian fairground manufacturer of King's Lynn"
Norfolk.gov.uk. Retrieved 25 February 2018 By 1870, he was manufacturing carousels with

Velocipede A velocipede () is a human-powered land vehicle with one or more wheels. The most common type of velocipede today is the bicycle. The term was probably first coined by Karl von Drais in French as ''vélocipède'' for the French translation o ...

s (an early type of bicycle) and he soon began experimenting with other possibilities, including a roundabout with boats that would pitch and roll on cranks with a circular motion, a ride he called 'Sea-on-Land'. Savage applied a similar innovation to the more traditional mount of the horse; he installed gears and offset cranks on the platform carousels, thus giving the animals their well-known up-and-down motion as they travelled around the center pole – the galloping horse. The platform served as a position guide for the bottom of the pole and as a place for people to walk or other stationary animals or chariots to be placed. He called this ride the 'Platform Gallopers'. He also developed the 'platform-slide' which allowed the mounts to swing out concentrically as the carousel built up speed. Fairground organs (band organs) were often present (if not built in) when these machines operated. Eventually electric motors were installed and electric lights added, giving the carousel its classic look. These mechanical innovations came at a crucial time, when increased prosperity meant that more people had time for

leisure Leisure has often been defined as a quality of experience or as free time. Free time is time spent away from business, work, job hunting, domestic chores, and education, as well as necessary activities such as eating and sleeping. Leisure ...

and spare money to spend on entertainment. It was in this historical context that the modern fairground ride was born, with Savage supplying this new market demand. In his 1902 Catalogue for Roundabouts he claimed to have "... patented and placed upon the market all the principal novelties that have delighted the many thousands of pleasure seekers at home and abroad." In the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

, the carousel industry was developed by immigrants, notably

Gustav Dentzel ''Gustav Dentzel'' was a German immigrant who built some of the earliest carousels in the United States. Born in Germany Gustav Dentzel was born in Kreuznach, Germany, on August 3, 1846. As a child, Gustav, would travel around southwest Germany d ...

of Germany and Charles W.F. Dare from England, from the late 19th century. Several centers and styles for the construction of carousels emerged in the United States: Coney Island style – characterized by elaborate, and sometimes faux-jeweled, saddles'' Antiques Roadshow'', Spokane, Washington, broadcast 4 August 2007. – with

Charles I. D. Looff Charles I. D. Looff was a German master carver and builder of hand-carved carousels and amusement rides, who immigrated to the United States of America in 1870. Looff built the first carousel at Coney Island in 1876. During his lifetime, he bui ...

; Philadelphia style – known for more realistically painted saddles – with Dentzel and the Philadelphia Toboggan Company; and Country Fair style – often with no saddles at all – with Allan Herschell and Edward Spillman of western New York, and Charles W. Parker of Kansas. The golden age of the carousel in America was the early 20th century, with large machines and elaborate animals, chariots, and decorations being built. File:Rochester NY Dentzel Carousel Summer 2001.jpg, Carousel built in 1905 by Gustav Dentzel which is still operational in

Rochester, New York Rochester () is a City (New York), city in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York, the county seat, seat of Monroe County, New York, Monroe County, and the fourth-most populous in the state after New York City, Buffalo, New York, Buffalo, ...

. File:Sea-On-Land.jpg, Savage's amusement ride, Sea-On-Land, where the riders would pitch up and down as if they were on the sea. His "galloping horse" innovation is seen on carousels today. File:Coney Illions 004.JPG, A 1909 horse by

Marcus Illions Marcus Charles Illions (1871–1949) was a master carver of wooden carousel horses and other figures at Coney Island, Brooklyn, New York City in the early 20th century. ''The New York Times'' referred to him as "the Michelangelo of carousel c ...

in the Coney Island style File:Pullen Park Carousel 18.JPG, 1900 horse by Salvatore Cernigliaro for Dentzel in the Philadelphia style File:Carousel horse, Herschell Carousel Factory Museum.jpg, Carousel horse by Allan Herschell Company in the Country Fair style

Antique and notable carousels

The National Carousel Association maintains a list of Historic Carousel Award winners, primarily focused on carousels in Canada and America.

Pre-1869

1870–1879

1880–1889

1890–1899

1900–1909

1910–1919

1920–1929

1930–1939

* The

King Arthur Carrousel King Arthur Carrousel is a carousel attraction located in Fantasyland at Disneyland in Anaheim, California. The carousel was built in 1922 and operated at Sunnyside Beach Park in Toronto, Ontario, until the park closed. The ride was relocated ...

has existed since 1932 and was moved to

Disneyland Disneyland is a amusement park, theme park in Anaheim, California. Opened in 1955, it was the first theme park opened by The Walt Disney Company and the only one designed and constructed under the direct supervision of Walt Disney. Disney in ...

in 1954. It is an assembly of two carousels. Walt Disney wanted it to have four courses of all jumpers. The remaining chariot woodwork was repurposed as the "Calliope" tenders of ''Casey Jr. Circus Train'' powered gravity coaster.

1940–1949

* The carousel at Harper Motors is an iconic landmark on the North Coast of California. It was bought by the dealerships owner Harvey Harper in 1991, after purchase this 1947 Allan Herschell Carousel was shipped to

Oakland Oakland is the largest city and the county seat of Alameda County, California, United States. A major West Coast port, Oakland is the largest city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, the third largest city overall in the Bay A ...

by train and drive to Eureka in a semi-truck. It took a year to assemble on site. It was refurbished and repainted in 2013 which caused the ride to be closed for a month. It is open daily free of charge to the public from 12–4 except on holidays and when inclement weather doesn't allow for riders. Paardenmolen bobbejaanland

Unique and record breaking

* The carousel at

Phantasialand Phantasialand is a theme park in Brühl, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany that attracts approximately 2 million visitors annually. The park was opened in 1967 by Gottlieb Löffelhardt and Richard Schmidt. Although starting as a family-oriented p ...

in Germany is one of the biggest in the world, made by Preston & Barbieri one historical amusement ride factory in Italy. * The world's only two-row stationary carousel built from an original Dentzel blueprint left in existence, the

Highland Park Dentzel Carousel and Shelter Building The Highland Park Dentzel Carousel and Shelter Building is a carousel and building in Highland Park in Meridian, Mississippi. Manufactured about 1896 for the 1904 St. Louis Exposition by the Dentzel Carousel Company of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, ...

, is located in Highland Park in

Meridian, Mississippi Meridian is the List of municipalities in Mississippi, seventh largest city in the U.S. state of Mississippi, with a population of 41,148 at the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census and an estimated population in 2018 of 36,347. It is the count ...

. * In May 2005, William Henry Dentzel III, built the world's first solar-powered carousel. The carousel operates during Solfest at the Solar Living Institute in

Hopland, California Hopland (formerly Sanel) is a census-designated place in Mendocino County, California, United States. It is located on the west bank of the Russian River south-southeast of Ukiah, in the Sanel Valley, at an elevation of . The population was ...

. * There is only one carousel in the world that rides in a waving motion – "Over the Jumps: The Arkansas Carousel" in

Little Rock, Arkansas (The Little Rock, The "Little Rock") , government_type = council-manager government, Council-manager , leader_title = List of mayors of Little Rock, Arkansas, Mayor , leader_name = Frank Scott Jr. , leader_ ...

. It is also the only remaining wooden track carousel built by the Herschell & Spillman Company, and one of only four track carousels still in existence. * The carousel at Conneaut Lake Park in

Conneaut Lake, Pennsylvania Conneaut Lake is a borough in Crawford County, Pennsylvania, located at the southern end of the lake of the same name. The population was 626 at the 2020 census, down from 653 at the 2010 census. History The town was founded in 1799 as "Evansbu ...

is the last T.M. Harton Carousel that is still in operation and its Artizan band organ is one of two known of the same model in the world. * In 2007, SeaWorld Orlando opened Sea Carousel, Florida's first aquatic carousel. * In 2012, Buttonwood Park Zoo opened an Americana carousel by

Chance Rides Chance Rides Manufacturing is a roller coaster and amusement ride manufacturer. The company was formed on May 16, 2002, when the former Chance Industries Inc. emerged from bankruptcy. The main office and manufacturing facility are located in Wic ...

. * In 2013, Palm Beach International Equestrian Center opened a

Bertazzon Bertazzon is an amusement ride manufacturing company based in Sernaglia della Battaglia, Italy. The company produces a variety of flat rides including bumper cars, carousels, swing rides, Matterhorns, Musik Expresses and dark ride systems. His ...

Venetian Carousel as part of the Winter Equestrian Festival (the first carousel to be used in events besides

South Florida Fair The South Florida Fair is an annual fair held in West Palm Beach, Florida every January. The fairgrounds site occupies and is located on the site of the former Palm Beach Speedway at the intersection of Southern Boulevard (US 98/ SR 80) and F ...

and the first Palm Beach County carousel built by

) *

Binghamton, New York Binghamton () is a city in the U.S. state of New York, and serves as the county seat of Broome County. Surrounded by rolling hills, it lies in the state's Southern Tier region near the Pennsylvania border, in a bowl-shaped valley at the conflue ...

is considered the "Carousel Capital of the World" for the six original carousels in the Triple Cities area, donated by George F. Johnson, owner of the Endicott-Johnson Company early in the 20th century. These carousels, manufactured by the Allen Hershell Company in the "country fair" style, were donated with the express stipulation that they would never charge admission for anyone to ride them. Apparently when Mr. Johnson was a child he was frequently too poor to ride the local carousel and he vowed this would never happen to another child in the area. The carousel at the Ross park zoo in Binghamton, NY does charge admission, in a way, as it requires the child to drop one piece of litter found in the park into a trash barrel in order to ride. This is all written on a plaque at the entrance to the carousel. * The two double-decker

Columbia Carousel Columbia Carousel (known as Carousel Columbia at California's Great America) is a pair of double-decker carousels at Six Flags Great America in Gurnee, Illinois and California's Great America in Santa Clara, California. Both parks were original ...

s built by

and located at Six Flags Great America and

California's Great America California's Great America, often shortened to Great America, is a amusement park located in Santa Clara, California. Owned and operated by Cedar Fair, it originally opened in 1976 as one of two parks built by the Marriott Corporation. Califor ...

are the two tallest carousels in the world. * The Merry-Go-Round at

Bear Mountain State Park Bear Mountain State Park is a state park located on the west bank of the Hudson River in Rockland and Orange counties, New York. The park offers biking, hiking, boating, picnicking, swimming, cross-country skiing, cross-country running, sledd ...

in New York, features hand-painted scenes of the Park and 42 hand-carved seats of native animals including black bear, wild turkey, deer, raccoon, skunk, Canada goose, fox, swan, bobcat, rabbit, and more. * On

Canada Day Canada Day (french: Fête du Canada), formerly known as Dominion Day (french: Fête du Dominion), is the national day of Canada. A federal statutory holiday, it celebrates the anniversary of Canadian Confederation which occurred on July 1, 18 ...

2016, a new attraction was opened in Downtown Markham, Ontario. The Pride of Canada Carousel was commissioned by Christopher Bratty, current president of the real estate and development firm The Remington Group. The carousel was produced and originally envisioned by

Shelley M. Shier Shelley M. Shier is a Canadian-American entrepreneur, art consultant, curator, music and theatrical producer. Early life Her mother, Rosaline Cutler Shier Sonshine, remains socially active, primarily in various charities and as an award winning ...

of Broadway Bound Fine Arts and Entertainment for The Remington Group. The carousel sits inside a glass pavillon designed by Sheldon Levitt from Quardrangle Architects. The carousel itself features 44 ride-able reusable material sculptures representing different elements of Canadian culture. It was designed by artist Patrick Amiot who worked with the Brass Ring Carousel Company to build the ride. * Ice floe carousels have been constructed on frozen lakes. For example, in 2017 an ice carousel was made in

Finland Finland ( fi, Suomi ; sv, Finland ), officially the Republic of Finland (; ), is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It shares land borders with Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of B ...

. It was constructed by cutting the ice in a circle with a

chainsaw A chainsaw (or chain saw) is a portable gasoline-, electric-, or battery-powered saw that cuts with a set of teeth attached to a rotating chain driven along a guide bar. It is used in activities such as tree felling, limbing, bucking, pruning, ...

In popular culture

* In ''

Mary Poppins It may refer to: * ''Mary Poppins'' (book series), the original 1934–1988 children's fantasy novels that introduced the character. * Mary Poppins (character), the nanny with magical powers. * ''Mary Poppins'' (film), a 1964 Disney film sta ...

'', Mary, Bert, and the children ride a merry-go-round, then leave the carousel on their horses to go off on a fox hunt and a horse race. * In the film ''

Charade Charade or charades may refer to: Games * Charades, originally "acting charades", a parlor game Films/TV * ''Charade'' (1953 film), an American film featuring James Mason * ''Charade'' (1963 film), an American film starring Cary Grant and A ...

'', near the end, there is a scene where appears a carousel in the background with the music of the main theme, a Parisian waltz composed by Henry Mancini (Charade carousel) played with bells. * In the film ''

Logan's Run ''Logan's Run'' is a science fiction novel by American writers William F. Nolan and George Clayton Johnson. Published in 1967, the novel depicts a dystopic Malthusianism future society in which both population and the consumption of resource ...

'', the residents of a domed city of the future are doomed to die on their 30th birthday, unless they can be "renewed" in a ritual known as "carousel". * In '' Something Wicked This Way Comes'' by

Ray Bradbury Ray Douglas Bradbury (; August 22, 1920June 5, 2012) was an American author and screenwriter. One of the most celebrated 20th-century American writers, he worked in a variety of modes, including fantasy, science fiction, horror, mystery, and r ...

, the carnival's carousel can cause riders to become younger or older depending on the direction, left and right in which they ride. * ''

Carousel A carousel or carrousel (mainly North American English), merry-go-round (List of sovereign states, international), roundabout (British English), or hurdy-gurdy (an old term in Australian English, in South Australia, SA) is a type of amusement ...

'' (1945) was a Broadway musical featuring hit songs such as "

If I Loved You "If I Loved You" is a show tune from the 1945 Rodgers and Hammerstein musical '' Carousel''. Background In the show, the characters of Billy Bigelow and Julie Jordan sing this song as they hesitantly declare their love for one another, yet are ...

" and " You'll Never Walk Alone". The protagonist, Billy Bigelow, is a carousel

barker Barker may refer to: Occupations * Barker (occupation), a person who attempts to attract patrons to entertainment events * Barker (coachbuilder), a builder of horse-drawn coaches and later of bodywork for prestige cars * a person who strips tanbar ...

. * In the dramatic climax scene of

Alfred Hitchcock Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock (13 August 1899 – 29 April 1980) was an English filmmaker. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of cinema. In a career spanning six decades, he directed over 50 featur ...

's '' Strangers on a Train'' (1951) the hero and the villain struggle on a carousel. * David Carradine's 1983 film '' Americana'' revolves around a Vietnam veteran's obsession with the restoration of an abandoned carousel. * In the Australian children's picture book ''The Carousel'' by Ursula Dubosarsky, illustrated by Walter di Qual, after an exhilarating ride on a carousel, a child has a semi-mystical vision of the carousel horses breaking free from the wheel and galloping across the world. * The children's television programme '' The Magic Roundabout'' uses a carousel as its central motif. * The film '' The Sting'' features a large indoor carrousel adjacent a brothel, where the Madame allows the girls to ride on slow nights. * The three installments of the book series Kingdom Keepers: The Return by Ridley Pearson features the carousel from Disneyland being used as a time machine to the opening of Disneyland Park. *The carousel at

House on the Rock The House on the Rock is a tourist attraction located between the cities of Dodgeville and Spring Green, Wisconsin. Opened in 1959, it is a complex of architecturally distinct rooms, streets, gardens, and shops designed by Alex Jordan Jr. ...

is billed as the world's largest indoor carousel. *In 2014, American singer-songwriter, Melanie Martinez, released a song "

", using carousel as a metaphor for love which goes in circles endlessly. * The children's television programme '' Playdays'' had a roundabout called Rosie who was the focus of episodes broadcast on Wednesdays from 1992 to 1997, maintained by Mr. Jolly.

Gallery

File:Highland Park Dentzel Carousel 2.JPG, Dentzel Carousel, a

National Historic Landmark A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the United States government for its outstanding historical significance. Only some 2,500 (~3%) of over 90,000 places listed ...

File:Bruxelles-Carousel.jpg, Modern carousel in

File:Karuselli Linnanmäki Helsinki.JPG, A carousel at

Linnanmäki Linnanmäki ( sv, Borgbacken, colloquially ''Lintsi'', ) is an amusement park in Helsinki, Finland. It was opened on 27 May 1950 and is owned by the non-profit Children's Day Foundation (, ), which operates the park in order to raise funds for F ...

Helsinki Helsinki ( or ; ; sv, Helsingfors, ) is the Capital city, capital, primate city, primate, and List of cities and towns in Finland, most populous city of Finland. Located on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, it is the seat of the region of U ...

File:Goose Fair Roundabout.jpg, James Noyce & Sons' traditional "gallopers" at

Nottingham Goose Fair The Nottingham Goose Fair is an annual travelling funfair held at the Forest Recreation Ground in Nottingham, England, during the first week of October. Largely provided by travelling Showmen, it is one of three established fairs in the United ...

in 1983 File:Allan Herschell carousel in 1920s, Trail Dust Town, Tucson, Arizona.jpg, A 1920s C.W. Parker merry-go-round in

Tucson, Arizona , "(at the) base of the black ill , nicknames = "The Old Pueblo", "Optics Valley", "America's biggest small town" , image_map = , mapsize = 260px , map_caption = Interactive map ...

File:Carrousel at Adventureland, Iowa.jpg, Town Square Carrousel at Adventureland in

Altoona, Iowa Altoona is a city in Polk County, Iowa, United States, and is a part of the Des Moines metropolitan area. The population was 19,565 at the 2020 census. Altoona is home of the Adventureland amusement park and Prairie Meadows horse racing track ...

(Chance-Morgan). Also has a decorative crown for a top. File:Mangel Illions Carousel.jpg, Mangels-Illions Carousel, after its 2000 restoration, on the grounds of the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium in

Columbus, Ohio Columbus () is the state capital and the most populous city in the U.S. state of Ohio. With a 2020 census population of 905,748, it is the 14th-most populous city in the U.S., the second-most populous city in the Midwest, after Chicago, and t ...

File:The Richland Carrousel Park II.jpg, Richland Carrousel Park in Mansfield, Ohio is the first hand-carved indoor wooden carousel to be built and operated in the United States since the early 1930s File:Merrygoroundcoventgardenlondon.JPG, A traditional Merry-go-round in

Covent Garden Covent Garden is a district in London, on the eastern fringes of the West End, between St Martin's Lane and Drury Lane. It is associated with the former fruit-and-vegetable market in the central square, now a popular shopping and tourist si ...

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

, August 2007 File:W.F. Mangels Kiddie Galloping Horse Carrousel.jpg,

William F. Mangels William F. Mangels (1866–1958) was an amusement manufacturer and inventor. He worked at Coney Island and was a major player in the development of American amusement parks at the start of the 20th century. In addition to manufacturing carousels an ...

Kiddie Galloping Horse Carrousel, c. 1935 File:Kennywood Carousel DSCN2827.JPG,

Kennywood Kennywood is an amusement park located in West Mifflin, Pennsylvania, just southeast of Pittsburgh. The park opened on May 30, 1899, as a trolley park attraction at the end of the Mellon family's Monongahela Street Railway. It was purchased in 1 ...

's Merry-Go-Round built by William H. Dentzel in 1926 for the World's Fair File:MOA Carousel 040531b.JPG, Carousel at Nickelodeon Universe/Camp Snoopy at the

Mall of America Mall of America (MOA) is a large shopping mall located in Bloomington, Minnesota, United States. Located within the Minneapolis–Saint Paul metropolitan area, the mall lies southeast of the junction of Interstate 494 and Minnesota State Highway ...

Bloomington, Minnesota Bloomington is a suburban city in Hennepin County, Minnesota, on the north bank of the Minnesota River, above its confluence with the Mississippi River, south of downtown Minneapolis. As of the 2020 census, the city's population was 89,987, ma ...

File:Dlp king arthur.jpg,

Fantasyland,

Anaheim, California Anaheim ( ) is a city in northern Orange County, California, part of the Los Angeles metropolitan area. As of the 2020 United States Census, the city had a population of 346,824, making it the most populous city in Orange County, the 10th-most p ...

(new version) File:Forest Park Carousel fall jeh.JPG,

Forest Park Carousel The Forest Park Carousel is a historic carousel at Forest Park in Queens, New York City. The carousel, one of two known surviving carousels built by Daniel Carl Muller, was built circa 1903 and contains 52 figures and its original band organ. ''S ...

all closed for the season, November 2009 File:2010-09-30. Cabaliños en Portosín. Porto do Son. Galiza.jpg, A small hand-driven carousel in

Portosín Portosín is a town of northwestern Spain in the province of A Coruña, in the autonomous community of Galicia. It belongs to the comarca of Noia and municipality of Porto do Son Porto do Son () is a municipality of northwestern Spain in the ...

Porto do Son Porto do Son () is a municipality of northwestern Spain in the province of A Coruña, in the autonomous community of Galicia. The municipality of Porto do Son encompasses a collection of coastal towns and villages in from including the town of ...

File:Central Park Carousel snow jeh.JPG, Central Park Carousel at Central Park in New York City File:Carousel at Garden State Plaza.jpg, Former Venetian Carousel at Garden State Plaza in Paramus, New Jersey, which closed in 2016 File:9.6.07PalisadesCenterMallFoodCourtbyLuigiNovi.jpg, Former

Philadelphia Toboggan Company Carousel Number 15 Philadelphia Toboggan Company Carousel Number 15 was a carousel built in 1907 by the Philadelphia Toboggan Company and moved several times. Since 2009, it has been in storage in Portland, Oregon. It measured in diameter and has a center pole. It ...

at the

Palisades Center Palisades Center is a shopping mall in West Nyack, New York, which as of December 2022, is the twelfth-largest by gross leasable space. It was built in the industrial style. It has also been of the nation's most lucrative malls, producing $40 mil ...

West Nyack, New York West Nyack is a hamlet and census-designated place in the town of Clarkstown, Rockland County, New York, United States. It is located north of Blauvelt, east of Nanuet, southwest of Valley Cottage, southeast of Bardonia, and west of Central Nyac ...

before it was removed and replaced by a Venetian Carousel in 2009 File:MOS Plaza Merry-go-round.jpg, MOS Plaza Merry-go-round File:Concept1900-steampunk-carousel.jpg, alt= Steampunk carousel near Paris, "Jules Verne" carousel with steampunk style nar Paris File:Carouselhorses1.jpg, alt=Wooden horses on a carousel in Maryland, USA, Wooden horses on a carousel in Maryland, USA

References

External links

The National Carousel Association

of a hand-cranked carousel in Szentendre, Hungary
Historic Carousels at the 1964–65 New York World's Fair

The oldest carousel in the world
* '' How It's Made'': Season 7: Episode 3: "Matches, Carousel Horses, Fine Porcelain, Automobile Fuel Tanks". 10 February 2008. {{Authority control Articles containing video clips Amusement rides