Fun after brunch on a 97 yr old carousel (pics)

G

GloBug

Guest
During brunch my SIL revealed that she is a carousel aficionado, so of course, I had to tell her about the carousel in Tilden Park not far from our house! She really enjoyed this cap to our brunch. We were all a bit surprised, nicely, though, at how fast this carousel did spin! Whee!!!

The beautiful menagerie carousel was built by the Herschell- Spillman Company of North Tonawanda, New York for Ross Davis in 1911. It’s first tour of duty was in San Bernardino County, where it operated between 1912-1916 in a Trolley Park in Urbita Springs. It then visited San Diego for a period of time, but due to unfavorable weather, was dismantled and stored until 1935. Griffith Park in Los Angeles became its next home, but after two years, a larger carousel was installed at the site, and it was once again relegated to storage. However, in 1948, it arrived in Tilden Park, in Berkeley, California, and there it found its permanent home.

In 1976, circumstances threatened the continued existence of the Merry-Go-Round in Berkeley. However with much public support the “Save The Carouselâ€Â, the park district arranged to purchase the ride from the Perry family, and renegotiated a contract with them to continue managing the operation. In 1978, the Tilden Park Merry- Go- Round was added to the National Register of Historic Places.

Where else can you ride a rooster, a reindeer, a tiger or a lion, a cat and a dog... but not a duck in sight!

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This carousel also has the original organ! It is in such good shape, that neighbors had to negotiate with the Regional Park system to only run the carousel after Noon one day a week!

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The drums and other systems in the back of the organ.
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One of the volunteers even made a quilt honoring the 97 yr old carousel.
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It was a great afternoon!
 
R

Rubysky

Guest
Wow! That's some merry-go-round. I guess they knew better than to have a duck.
 
R

r8derfan

Guest
That looks just like the one in Balboa Park (San Diego). I always chose the Cat.
 
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