Carousel Day
Find a local fair or amusement park, or a designated carousel and have some old-fashioned fun. Or, stay home and watch the hit musical, “Carousel”.
Drive foot traffic to amusement parks, fairs, and family attractions by celebrating nostalgic carousel experiences and promoting themed entertainment offerings.
- Throwback carousel memories: share vintage carousel photos and invite families to relive the magic
- Amusement park promotions tied to carousel rides and classic fair experiences
- Carousel-themed merchandise and collectibles for hobbyists and nostalgia seekers
- Family day packages featuring carousel rides and old-fashioned fair activities
In order to understand the history of Carousel Day, we need to understand the history of the carousel. One of the first conceptual designs for a carousel was in 500 A.D. in the Byzantine Empire, which depicts baskets, carrying riders, suspended from a central pole.
This was an activity that needed excellent horsemanship and skill. In fact, the word carousel comes from the word ‘garosello,’ which is Italian, and the word ‘carosella,’ which is Spanish. It means ‘little battle.’ This was used by crusaders as a description of the combat preparation exercises and games that were played by the Arabian and Turkish horsemen during the 12th century.
There were carousels being created and operated at a number of different gatherings and fairs in England and Central Europe in the early 18th century. However, it was not until the 1840s when Franz Wiesenoffer created the first merry-go-round in the United States in Hessville, Ohio. Unfortunately, though. He did not patent the design, and so he’s not officially credited as the creator.
Then, Bette Largent, President of the National Carousel Association, and carousel historian, Ronald Hopkins founded National Merry-Go-Round Day in 2014. Also called Carousel Day, it was formed to honor William Schneider of Davenport, Iowa who, due to patenting the carousel in 1871, is considered the official inventor of the modern carousel by the U.S. Patent Office.
The National Carousel Association, operating since 1973, aims to keep carousels running and preserve their history in the United States. Since then, the NCA tracks the history of carousels all around the United States in its census. The NCA is a non-profit organization and accepts donations to help keep carousel history alive.
The NCA also has a census, a giant data collection of carousels all over North America, keeping track of vintage and modern carousels, as well as repairing old carousels to keep them functioning. Every year, the NCA hosts a convention called The New England Carousel Revolution, where people travel around in buses all over the New England area to check out vintage carousels in parks, museums, and boardwalks.