Merry-Go-Rounds?
A Traumatizing Incident
On the subject of…“things that I had no intention of writing a post on“…I give you Merry-Go-Rounds. But first, let me start this story with a tragic event from my distant past. When I was a very young father, my daughter and I were almost killed on an out of control Thomas the Tank Engine ride at the Ohio State Fair. So, after our miraculous survival, I swore off all rides that travel in a repetitive circular pattern. However, when I found myself in two sister cities that share a passion for merry-go-rounds, I decided a post was warranted, despite my phobia. Therefore, without further adieu, I give you the sister, merry-go-round cities of Sandusky, Ohio, and Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts.
Why Sandusky, Ohio?
Beyond just being surprised that a merry-go-round museum even exists, my big question was…why is it in Sandusky, Ohio? Well, the answer lies in a stamp.
In 1988, the US Postal Service issued a set of four stamps featuring carousel horses. For reasons not clear to me, one of the horse stamps was the King Horse, then located in the Kiddieland area of Cedar Point Amusement Park in Sandusky, OH. So, the folks of Sandusky decided to hold a ceremony at their abandoned post office to honor their King Horse stamp release. Well, for some reason, over two thousand enthusiastic stamp or merry-go-round fans attended this event. Then, seeing the unusually high interest, some entrepreneur, snatched up the abandoned post office and began gathering carousel artifacts from all over the world. Some two years later, the Merry-Go-Round Museum of Sandusky, Ohio, opened its doors.
How’s the Museum?
For full disclosure, I would not travel too far out of your way to do the museum. But, if you find yourself in Sandusky, OH, its worth the $8 admission price. The anchor exhibit of the museum is the restored carousel. You get a token for one ride included with your admission.
Now, as I was the only person in the museum, I used my token to watch it go around without me. In the above right picture, I assure you that I did not risk myself by riding the horse when the death carousel was moving. Other than the restored carousel, the museum was filled with many artistic and historic carousel animals. In touring the exhibits, you get a good picture of the 150 years that carousels have been part of our country. I will keep my remaining pictures to a minimum…
The Oldest Bar…I mean Oldest Carousel
The Sandusky museum was fine. But, I felt this merry-go-round post needed some more beef. Therefore, I decided to I track down the oldest merry-go-round in the USA to finish this post. To pull this off, I first had to drive to Falmouth, Massachusetts. Falmouth is the closest departure point for a ferry to Martha’s Vineyards. So, on a warm June morning, I departed the continental USA on a ferry boat to Martha’s Vineyard. My target for the mission was the Flying Horses Carousel.
The Flying Horses Carousel of Oak Bluff
Well, my ignorant enlightenment for the day is that Martha’s Vineyard is not actually a town. Martha’s Vineyard is the island that actually contains several small towns…who knew? The Flying Horse carousel is actually in the town of Oak Bluff on the ISLAND of Martha’s Vineyard…got it. Anyway, the Flying Horses began in Oak Bluffs in 1884 and has been operating ever since. The carousel was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1987. As the carousel is 140 years old and made mostly of wood, they keep it well protected from the elements. The carousel still maintains its old school look. Furthermore, for $3.50 per ride, it still entertains the tourists daily.
Despite being the oldest carousel in the nation, I still did not choose to ride it. My emotional scars from the the Thomas the Tank Engine ride are still fresh after 30 years.
Wrap It Up
For full transparency…and worthless trivia…there is also an “oldest carousel in the USA” called the Flying Horses Carousel in Westerly, Rhode Island. Both carousels maintain the title because they are different types. The Flying Horse in Oak Bluffs is a platform carousel (i.e. horses sit on the ground), while the RI one is a suspended carousel where the horses hang from chains. I will swing by the Rhode Island one next time I am in the neighborhood.
In conclusion, it strikes me that this may be one of the more wholesome posts that I have done. There was no mention of strange antics, freakish places or PBR. Rather, it was just good old fashioned Americana by way of Merry-Go-Rounds…which I will not ride. Oh well. Have a wonderful day. PT
I hope you have enjoyed reading “Merry-Go-Rounds?” on Traveling with PugsleyTonks
I did not ride the rides at this place either https://travelingwithpt.com/the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly/
If you happen to want to visit the museum… https://www.merrygoroundmuseum.org/
