Wrap Up Summer With A Nostalgic Carousel Tour Across Rhode Island

New England carousels are reminiscent of tranquil seaside breezes, cotton candy, and carefree summer days.

Now that fall is creeping in, grab hold of one more perfect adventure with a road trip along the Rhode Island Carousel Trail. Seven classic carousels await!

View the interactive Google Map for the carousel trail here!

Slater Memorial Park, Pawtucket

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Famous carousel artist, Charles I.D. Looff built this beautiful ride in 1894 and it was installed in Slater Park in 1910. While the horses, dogs, camels, giraffes, and lions do not gallop up and down, the carousel is known as the fastest designed by Looff.

 

Roger Williams Park Carousel Village, Providence

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Located just a short distance from the famous Roger Williams Park Zoo, the Carousel Village features a historic merry-go-round with classic colonial horses, benches, and "mystical creatures" like dragons, lions, rabbits, and giraffes.

 

Crescent Park Carousel, Riverside

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Another historic Looff design, the Crescent Park Carousel was built in 1895 as a showcase for prospective carousel buyers. It features 56 hand-carved moving wooden animals, four non-moving animals, four chariots, and one lone camel, surrounded by decorative panels, jewels, beveled mirrors, and electric lights.

 

Easton's Beach Carousel, Newport

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The seaside carousel at Easton Beach was designed by the Allan Herschell Company of New York City and brought to Rhode Island in 1958. It includes four rows of colorful metal horses.

 

Adventureland Family Fun Park, Narragansett

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Poppy’s Carousel at Adventureland Family Fun Park features Victorian-style  horses, a penguin, a sea dragon, an anteater, a tiger, and a spinning cup!

 

Flying Horse Carousel, Westerly

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The Flying Horse Carousel is the oldest of its kind in America! Built in 1876, the 20 hand-carved wooden horses feature leather saddles, agate eyes, and authentic horse-hair manes and tails. Instead of being attached to the floor by poles, they are suspended from a center frame and swing out when the ride is in motion. Due to its age, the Flying Horse is for child riders only.

 

Atlantic Beach Carousel, Westerly

A post shared by Misquamicut Beach (@misquamicutmba) on Aug 21, 2017 at 11:29am PDTThe carousel at Atlantic Beach is the most eclectic of the bunch. It was rescued from the Rocky Point Amusement Park when it closed. The carousel is constructed on a two-level 1915 Herschell-Spillman platform. The horses had been sold off and replaced with modern aluminum ponies, but some have been retrieved and reinstalled. Some of the horses and two lions were rescued from a different carousel. Although the menagerie may be a jumble of age and style, the amusement is a quirky spot to take a good old-fashioned spin.

The carousel at Atlantic Beach is a 1915 Herschell Spillman featuring hand-carved horses from famed M.C. Illions & Sons. Constructed on a two-level platform, the ride was salvaged from Rocky Point Amusement Park when it closed down. The original horses were sold off and replaced with modern aluminum ones, but some have since been reinstalled. Others were rescued from a different carousel.