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A '''Merry-Go-Round''', sometimes called a [[Carousel]], was an amusement device where riders would mount wooden sculptures of animals that would simulate a riding movement along a vertical pole for each sculpture. It was operated by electricity, and a central organ provided music. There were several of these rides at Olentangy Park.
{{Infobox ride
| name          = Carousel
| image          =
| othernames    = Grand Carousel<br />Caroussel<br />Carrousel<br />Merry-Go-Round
| type          = Rotating Ride
| section    = Center
| built          = 1904
| opened        = 1906
| closed        = 1937 (park closure)
| manufacturer  = Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters (PTC)<br />William E. Mangels<br />Marcus C. Illions and Sons (Horse carvings)
| architect      = Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters (PTC)
| model          =
| materials      = Wood
| length        =
| width          =
| height        =
| sitearea      =
| vehicletype    = Horses and Chariots
| numvehicles    = 54 horses, 2 chariots
| numriders      = 1
}}


The main '''Carousel''', also known as the '''Grand Carousel''', was one of a few "merry-go-rounds" at Olentangy Park. Built in 1904, this Coney Island carousel had 54 horses and two chariots, carved by Marcus C. Illions and Sons, in collaboration with William E. Mangels and the Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters (PTC).<ref>Fried, Frederick. ''A Pictorial History of the Carousel.''</ref> The horses are in sets of three. It was purchased from the Columbus Zoological Company in 1906<ref>"Olentangy Park Opens on April 29." ''Columbus Evening Dispatch.'' 15 April 1906. Pg. 7.</ref> and installed in the [[Dancing Pavilion (First)|first Dancing Pavilion]] with a big pipe organ, even before the new dancing pavilion was built.<ref>"Auspicious Day for Park Opening." ''Columbus Evening Dispatch.'' 30 April 1906. Pg. 6.</ref><ref name="logan">"Olentangy Park." ''The Democrat-Sentinel (Logan, OH).'' 14 June 1906. Pg. 2. [https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-democrat-sentinel-olentangy-park-pa/1634143/ Clip 1] | [https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-democrat-sentinel-olentangy-park-pa/1634148/ Clip 2]</ref> It was moved to another part of the park in 1922.<ref>"Park Opens Today." ''The Columbus Sunday Dispatch.'' 16 April 1922. Pg. 68.</ref> When the park closed, the ride was moved to Scioto Ranch Park, later Wyandot Lake. After it was restored in 2000, it is currently operating at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium.<ref>Carousel News and Trader. June 2010. http://esq.h-cdn.co/assets/cm/15/06/54d453969ae59_-_Carousel_News_and_Trader_BW_Borrelli_JUNE_2010.pdf</ref>
==List of Merry-Go-Rounds and Carousels==
* [[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.
* [[Carousel|Grand Carousel]] - Mangels-Illions Carousel currently in operation at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium
* [[Merry-Go-Round De Luxe]] - "New" in 1930, strikingly similar to the Grand Carousel and possibly the same ride


==Notes==
Ohio history plaques at the site and articles at the time of the carousel's restoration say the ride was built in 1914. However, Mangels worked with Illions to create Coney Island-style carousels early in the century, prior to M.C. Illions and Sons incorporating in 1909, putting the ride's creation much earlier. The carousel that came from the Columbus Zoological Company might have been a separate carousel from the Grand Carousel since PTC started building rides with only horses in 1909.<ref>"The Passing of the Menagerie." ''Kit Carson County Carousel.'' Accessed 2 June 2024. https://www.kitcarsoncountycarousel.com/museum</ref> The National Carousel Association census also lists the carousel as being built in 1914, but the dates listed for Olentangy Park are inaccurate by 9 years.<ref>"Grand Carousel, Columbus Zoo, Powell, OH." ''National Carousel Association.'' Census Query. Last Updated: 2016. Accessed 1 June 2024. https://carousels.org/USACensus/census.pl.</ref>


Other carousels at the park had fanciful creatures, with a notable exception in 1930 when a new carousel called "[[Merry-Go-Round De Luxe]]" opened with most, if not all, horses.<ref>"Bottle, At Least, To Be Broken On Head Of Good Bucephalus, Lead Horse Of Olentangy Carrousel." ''Columbus Evening Dispatch.'' 17 April 1930. Pg. 20.</ref> It had the same number of horses, and the idea of using all horses was a "new" idea at the time.<ref>"Psychology Enters Even Into Carrousel Game." ''Columbus Evening Dispatch.'' 23 April 1930. Pg. 16.</ref> It is possible that this was the same "Grand Carousel," just restored decades after installation since photos from the 1910s-1920s show a carousel with horses in the building of the first Dancing Pavilion.<ref>"Olentangy Park Gazebo." ''Ohio History Connection Selections.'' Photo. Online Database Entry Created: 3 August 2011. https://www.ohiomemory.org/digital/collection/p267401coll32/id/11683</ref>
== See Also ==
* [[Merry-Go-Round De Luxe]]
* [[Merry-Go-Round]]
== References ==
<references />


{{Park Sections}}
{{Park Sections}}
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[[Category:Rides]]
[[Category:Rides]]
[[Category:Rotating Rides]]
[[Category:Rotating Rides]]
[[Category:Added in 1906]]
[[Category:Closed in 1937]]

Revision as of 21:53, 2 June 2024

A Merry-Go-Round, sometimes called a Carousel, was an amusement device where riders would mount wooden sculptures of animals that would simulate a riding movement along a vertical pole for each sculpture. It was operated by electricity, and a central organ provided music. There were several of these rides at Olentangy Park.

List of Merry-Go-Rounds and Carousels

  • 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.
  • Grand Carousel - Mangels-Illions Carousel currently in operation at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium
  • Merry-Go-Round De Luxe - "New" in 1930, strikingly similar to the Grand Carousel and possibly the same ride