Grand Carousel
| Other Name(s) | Grand Carousel Caroussel Carrousel Merry-Go-Round |
|---|---|
| Type | Rotating Ride |
| Park Section | Center |
| Built | 1914 |
| Opened | 1914 |
| Closed | 1937 (park closure) |
| Manufacturer | Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters (PTC) William F. Mangels Marcus C. Illions & Sons (Horse carvings) |
| Architect | Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters (PTC) |
| Materials | Wood |
| Vehicle Type | Horses and Chariots |
| Number of Vehicles | 54 horses, 2 chariots |
| Riders per Vehicle | 1 |
The Grand Carousel, was one of a few "merry-go-rounds" at Olentangy Park. Built in 1914, the horses and decorations were carved by Marcus C. Illions and Sons, in collaboration with William F. Mangels and the Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters (PTC).[1] It was moved to another part of the park in 1922.[2][3] When the park closed, it was moved to the Haenlein Brothers' new Zoo Amusement Park across from the Columbus Zoo,[4][5][6] on the site of the future Zoombezi Bay.[7]This park was bought by the Gooding Amusement Company in 1956 after Leo Haenlein's death.[8] It became Wyandot Lake in the 1984.[9] After the ride was restored in 2000, it was installed and is currently operating at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium.[10][11]
Description
The Coney Island carousel had 54 horses and two chariots. The carved wooden horses are in sets of three that move up and down and side to side. Mirrors topped its center pole, and elaborately carved shields were on the canopy. The shields were replaced by plastic by 1975, but it still played music from its organ.[6]
Notes
Ohio history plaques at the site and articles at the time of the carousel's restoration say the ride was built in 1914.[11] 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. Donald L. Mains, Zoo Park president in 1975, believed the carousel was built sometime around 1900.[6] The National Carousel Association census also lists the carousel as being built in 1914, but the dates listed for Olentangy Park are inaccurate by nine years.[12]
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.[13] It had the same number of horses, and the idea of using all horses was a "new" idea at the time.[14]
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
- Merry-Go-Round De Luxe - Opened in 1930
References
- ↑ Fried, Frederick. A Pictorial History of the Carousel,
- ↑ "Park Opens Today." The Columbus Sunday Dispatch, April 16, 1922. Page 68.
- ↑ "New Restaurant Open." Columbus Evening Dispatch, June 4, 1922. Page 72.
- ↑ Barret, Richard E. 1984. "Olentangy Park: Four Decades of Fun." Columbus and Central Ohio Historian No. 1, April 1984. Page 17.
- ↑ "Zoo Amusement Park Has Established Its Popularity." Columbus Dispatch, June 2, 1929. Page 14-A.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Stout, Ned. 1975. "Zoo Park Season Starts with Look to Past." Columbus Dispatch, April 23, 1975. Page C-1.
- ↑ Hoholik, Suzanne. 2007. "Park rechristened Zoombezi Bay - Former Wyandot Lake to reopen in May." The Columbus Dispatch, July 12, 2007. Page 3B.
- ↑ "Gooding Buys Amusement Park at Zoo." Columbus Dispatch, April 9, 1956. Page 3A.
- ↑ Franklin, Peter D. 1983. "Ground broken for park next to Columbus Zoo." The Columbus Dispatch, November 10, 1983. Page C6.
- ↑ 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
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Gallick, Thomas. 2014. "Zoo's carousel has been circling for 100 years," The Columbus Dispatch - ThisWeek Community News, August 6, 2014. Last modified August 7, 2014. Accessed on July 22, 2022. https://www.dispatch.com/story/news/local/olentangy-valley/2014/08/06/zoo-s-carousel-has-been/23088244007/
- ↑ "Grand Carousel, Columbus Zoo, Powell, OH." National Carousel Association, Census Query. Last modified 2016. Accessed on June 1, 2024. https://carousels.org/USACensus/census.pl.
- ↑ "Bottle, At Least, To Be Broken On Head Of Good Bucephalus, Lead Horse Of Olentangy Carrousel." Columbus Evening Dispatch, April 17, 1930. Page 20.
- ↑ "Psychology Enters Even Into Carrousel Game." Columbus Evening Dispatch, April 23, 1930. Page 16.