HISTORY

Originally crafted in 1908 by Solomon Stein and Harry Goldstein, the Central Park Carousel is one of the nation's largest merry-go-rounds, featuring 54 hand-carved exquisite horses and two enchanting chariots.

Central Park opened to the public in 1857 on 843 acres of city owned land in the center of Manhattan. In 1858, Frederick Olmsted and Calvert Vaux won a design competition to improve and expand the Park. They prepared a plan entitled the “Greensward Plan”. The plan included a carousel site in the southern portion of the park, in line with East 65th Street between Sixth and Seventh Avenues.

The first carousel in Central Park was installed in 1871 and remained in operation until 1942. The carousel was initially hand-cranked operated. In 1873 a live mule hidden beneath the Carousel platform powered the ride. The mules were taught to start and stop when the operator tapped on the floor. After 1912, the Carousel was powered by electricity.

In 1924 the Carousel burned to the ground and was replaced by an Allan Herschell carousel with a brass ring machine. In November 1950, the Allan Herschell carousel was also destroyed by fire.

In 1951, the city built a brick building to house the current Stein & Goldstein Carousel hand-carved in 1908. The carousel was renovated with a grant from the Michael Friedsam Foundation and opened to the public in July of that year. In accordance with Donald J. Trump’s interest in Central Park’s history and preservation, and his notable success with Wollman Rink, the Trump Organization took over the renovation, operation and maintenance of the carousel in 2011.

As the fourth carousel in the Park’s history, the ride operates in the same general location as its three predecessors in the southern portion of Central Park.

Since 2011, the Trump Organization successfully managed the famed Central Park Carousel to the highest levels, attracting more visitors than ever before.