Carousel

This article is about the amusement ride. For the stage musical, see Carousel.

A carousel is an amusement flat ride consisting of a rotating platform with seats for passengers. The "seats" are traditionally in the form of wooden horses or animals, which are moved mechanically up and down to simulate galloping. This leads to the machine's alternative name, the galloper. Other popular names are merry-go-round, roundabout and flying horses.

Records of early carousels are known from the Byzantine Empire. The first steam-powered carousels began to appear in Europe in 1860, and then in England and the USA in 1870. The first carousel at Coney Island was built in 1876 by Charles I. D. Looff, a Danish woodcarver.

Any rotating platform may also be called a carousel.

In a playground, a merry-go-round is usually a simple, child-powered rotating platform with bars or handles to which children can cling while riding.

References

• A Brief Carousel History, Carousel Magic! web site, 2003-07-30
• Airport carousels

See also: Carousel, 1860, 1870, Amusement ride, Byzantine Empire, Carousel (musical), England, Europe, Flat ride, Gallop