Merry-Go-Round De Luxe
| Other Name(s) | Merry-Go-Round Carrousel Carroussel Carousal |
|---|---|
| Type | Rotating Ride |
| Park Section | Center |
| Built | 1930 |
| Opened | 1930 |
| Closed | 1937 (park closing) |
| Materials | Wood |
| Vehicle Type | Horses and Chariots |
| Number of Vehicles | 54 horses, 2 chariots |
| Riders per Vehicle | 1 |
The Merry-Go-Round De Luxe was one of a few "merry-go-rounds" at Olentangy Park. "New" in 1930,[1][2] this carousel had 54 horses and two chariots and was described very similarly to the Grand Carousel. It cost the park $25,000 ($472,000 in 2024).[3] With 1,116 electric lights, fifteen colors of paint, and thirty different tunes, another "new" aspect of this ride was using horses instead of the traditional animals that tend to frighten small children.[4] It was installed in place of an old restaurant just south of the Moonlight Gardens.[5]
During its opening, they discussed giving it a name, and many suggestions rolled in,[1] including:
- "Rotundus Rotundum" (suggested by Jimmy Peppe)
- "The Girdy Whirl" (suggested by the Junior League Social Leaders)
- "The Galloping Hemisphere" (suggested by the Rand & McNally Co.)
- "Horses, Horses, Horses" (suggested by the Beulah Park Association)
It opened on Easter Sunday, 1930, with Mayor Thomas breaking a bottle of Jamaica ginger over the forehead of "Bucephalus," the foremost horse.[1]
The ride operated until the park's closing in 1937. It was either moved to the Haenlein Brothers' new Zoo Amusement Park across from the Columbus Zoo[6][7] or sold to another amusement park.[8]
See Also
- Merry-Go-Round (1) - Original Merry-Go-Round built for the park's 1896 opening season
- Merry-Go-Round (2) - Merry-Go-Round purchased from the Columbus Zoological Company in 1906
- Merry-Go-Round (3) - A merry-go-round added in 1910
- Grand Carousel - Mangels-Illions Carousel currently in operation at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "Bottle, At Least, To Be Broken On Head Of Good Bucephalus, Lead Horse Of Olentangy Carrousel." Columbus Evening Dispatch, April 17, 1930. Page 20.
- ↑ "Olentangy Receipts Almost Up to 1929." The Billboard, Vol. 42. Issue 44. November 1, 1930. Page 61. Accessed through the Internet Archive.
- ↑ "Famous Orchestra To Play Olentangy." Columbus Evening Dispatch. April 18, 1930. Page 22.
- ↑ "Psychology Enters Even Into Carrousel Game." Columbus Evening Dispatch, April 23, 1930. Page 16.
- ↑ "Improvements Mark Greater Olentangy." The Columbus Dispatch, April 15, 1930. Page A-15.
- ↑ Barret, Richard E. "Olentangy Park: Four Decades of Fun." Columbus and Central Ohio Historian. Vol. 1. April 1984. Pg. 17.
- ↑ "Zoo Amusement Park Has Established Its Popularity." Columbus Dispatch. 2 June 1929. Pg. 14-A.
- ↑ Advertisement, The Billboard. April 16, 1938. Page. Page 41. Accessed through the Internet Archive. https://archive.org/details/sim_billboard_1938-04-16_50_16/page/40