The Stoomcarrousel is an attraction of the

Efteling Efteling () is a fantasy-themed amusement park in Kaatsheuvel, the Netherlands. The attractions reflect elements from ancient myths and legends, fairy tales, fables, and folklore. The park was opened on May 31, 1952. It evolved from a nature ...

amusement park An amusement park is a park that features various attractions, such as rides and games, as well as other events for entertainment purposes. A theme park is a type of amusement park that bases its structures and attractions around a central ...

in the

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

. It is an indoor

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 ...

situated in what is now known as the "Carousel Palace" (in

Dutch Dutch commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands * Dutch people () * Dutch language () Dutch may also refer to: Places * Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States * Pennsylvania Dutch Country People E ...

"Carrouselpaleis"; formerly "De Efteling Stoomcarrousel" (''"Efteling Steam Carousel"'') and originally "Janvier's Stoomcaroussel" (''"Janvier's Steam Carousel"'').

History

The carousel, dating from 1895, was bought by Efteling from Hendrik Janvier, who had toured with it to local

funfair 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, and has been operating in the park since 11 May 1956. Hendrik Janvier (1868-1932), considered to be the founding father of the salon carousel, sold the Carousel because of the high costs and declining income. Building the ride up took 4 days and it had to be transported with 25 train carriages and trucks. Rumour has it that

Anton Pieck Anton Franciscus Pieck (19 April 1895 – 24 November 1987) was a Dutch painter, artist and graphic artist. Hiworksare noted for their nostalgic or fairy tale-like character and are widely popular, appearing regularly on cards and calendars. He i ...

, the most important creative designer of Efteling, pushed for the purchase, because he rode the carousel as a child in

Haarlem Haarlem (; predecessor of ''Harlem'' in English) is a city and municipality in the Netherlands. It is the capital of the province of North Holland. Haarlem is situated at the northern edge of the Randstad, one of the most populated metropoli ...

. There also is a bar area within the salon carousel. The area surrounding these carousels was normally used for entertainment, eating and dancing in past times. In 1956 the carousel was the only attraction in the building, but in 1966 the

Water Organ The water organ or hydraulic organ ( el, ὕδραυλις) (early types are sometimes called hydraulos, hydraulus or hydraula) is a type of pipe organ blown by air, where the power source pushing the air is derived by water from a natural source ...

, in 1971 the

Diorama A diorama is a replica of a scene, typically a three-dimensional full-size or miniature model, sometimes enclosed in a glass showcase for a museum. Dioramas are often built by hobbyists as part of related hobbies such as military vehicle mode ...

and in 1972 the Victorian Theater were also set up in the Carousel Palace.

The ride

Although the mechanics are still visible, the carousel was only powered by a König steam centre engine (under license from Savages) until the 1970s; nowadays it is powered by electricity. The seats of the carousel are in the form of animals, such as 22 Hübner horses and 2 Karl Müller carved pigs (with clown thumbing his nose at the riders behind), and 4 carved Moulina gondolas and coaches, all turning to the music of an original

Gavioli Gavioli & Cie were a Franco– Italian organ builder company that manufactured fairground organs in both Italy and later France. History Gavioli was founded in 1806 in Cavezzo, Italy, by Giacomo Gavioli (1786–1875). Giacamo's hobby was the de ...

organ (only 5 remaining worldwide). The steps for mounting the horses and entering the gondola are fixed to the ride platform. The ride moves on a rail track under the platform, with cams to rock the animals and swing the gondolas. Ride length: 2 minutes
Ride capacity: 750 passengers/ hour

External links

Efteling siteNational Carousel Association
{{coord, 51, 39, 04, N, 5, 02, 56, E, region:NL_type:landmark_source:kolossus-frwiki, display=title Carousels Efteling Amusement rides introduced in 1895