Timeline for grand historic “Golden Age” carousels lost.
Hand-carved carousels built from the mid-1870s, through the turn of the century and into the 1920s. The artistic American carousel manufacturing business came to an end with the Great Depression.
1964-1975 I 1976-1985 I 1986-1989 I 1990-2000 I MAP
1964-1975 – Historic Carousels Lost
1964
Lake Contrary, St. Joseph, MO Dentzel D/A
Walbridge Park, Toledo, OH Muller D/A
1965
Ringling Museum, Sarasota, FL Looff D/A
(Royal American Shows)Frederick Rd. Park, Baltimore, MD PTC #52 Fire
1966
Forest Park, Queens, NY Illions/Stein/Dentzel Fire
1967
Fiesta Park, San Diego, CA Parker/PTC Sold
Pen-Mar, MD Dentzel/Muller D/A
Ocean Grove, NJ Dentzel D/A
Burlington, NC Dentzel/Muller D/A
Reynolds Park, Winston-Salem, NC Herschell-Spillman D/A
1968
City Park, Buffalo, NY Dentzel Sold
Carousel sold to Robert Long, Elmira, NY, approx. 1968. While in storage, a flood caused all the animals to come apart. Figures bought by Gray Tuttle in 1972 and reassembled.
1969
Old Orchard Beach, ME Dentzel Fire
Sunset Park, Camden, NJ Carmel D/A
Rainbow Gardens, Pittsburgh PA Spilllman D/A
Operated at Grand Strand Park, Myrtle Beach, SC, for 1969 season. Figures removed, mechanism sold to Marianne Stevens in the fall of 1969. Presently operating at Roswell, NM.1970
Sans Souci Park, Wilkes Barre, PA Looff D/A
Altoona, PA Stein & Goldstein Sold
Norumbega Park, Newton, Mass. Dentzel lion. CNT cover April 1996.
1971
Long Beach , CA Derby Ride D/A
Norumbega Park, Newton, MA Dentzel Sold
A group of animals were saved after the park was bulldozed.Petersburg, VA Spillman D/A
Horses sold to Disney, to in turn, be sold in their gift shop.
1972
Great Falls, VA Stein/Looff Flood
Long Beach, NY Illions Supreme D/A
Shady Grove Park, Uniontown, PA Carmel Sold
1973
Ft. Wayne, IN PTC #13 D/A
(from Hartford, CT)Columbia Gardens, Butte, MT C. W. Parker Fire
Sylvan Beach, NY Looff D/A
Lakeside Park, Syracuse, NY Looff D/A
Johnstown, PA Dentzel D/A
1974
Rock Springs Park, Chester, WV Muller/Dentzel D/A
Rockwell’s Kiddieland, Hawthorne, CA Herschell-Spillman D/A
Benit’s Amusements, Arnold’s Park, IA Muller D/A
Marshall Hall, MD Carmel/Borelli Sold
Figures sold as a group, mechanism, beyond repair, was scrapped.Edgewater Park, Detroit, MI Dentzel D/A
*D/A simply refers to Dispersed/Auctioned. – Although a few carousels were famously auctioned off at once for pure profit, so many others were simply victims of the economics of the times. And, those economic times happened to include collectors who were very interested and appreciative of the art of the American “Golden Age” carousel, and owners and riders who simply were not. Or at least there just weren’t enough of them. Today there is a safe balance, but still a few great grand antique carousels in storage, deserving of restoration and proper placement in an interactive museum setting where they will surely thrive.
1964-1975 I 1976-1985 I 1986-1989 I 1990-2000 I MAP
HISTORIC CAROUSELS LOST LOCATOR MAP
