National Merry Go Round Day – July 25, 2024

History of National Merry Go Round Day

Merry-go-rounds or carousels are one of the oldest amusement-park rides still in use all over the globe. These little rides have been around for a very long time. Back in the medieval period, European Crusaders returned home after fighting, having adopted a foreign tradition they called ‘little war.’ In a structure they called the ‘carosella,’ people would ride horses holding lances and try to spear a ring hanging overhead from a tree limb. The French called this type of tournament a ‘carrousel.’ This is translated to mean ‘a tilting match’. Used to train knights in medieval times, the style of playing evolved to an extent — knights sat on wooden planks that were suspended from a center post in a circular shape and tried to thrust their lances through a suspended ring.

By the 16th century, French innovation had replaced wooden boards with carved horses suspended from chains. People, mostly noblemen, who were trained this way would sit on the horses, simulating the horse-riding experience without posing the threat of injury to real horses.

It was only in the 17th century that carousels became entertainment. As its popularity expanded, its size reduced. Some played music as the center moved; some were powered by animals while others by humans. Artistic elements to design the merry-go-rounds caught on. Carousel makers grew more innovative with their designs; Michael Dentzel, a German wagon-maker, carved intricate animal figures for merry-go-rounds.

With large-scale immigration to America during this same period, the carousel came to the U.S. While merry-go-rounds were present in the country long before then, they were officially patented and the industry took off. Mass production of carousels boomed with the Industrial Revolution, and they quickly spread around the country. Another benefit of this revolution was the extra leisure time people now had, making relaxation — and so, having fun on a carousel ride, possible.

Steam-power fully replaced animal power in the 19th century, making merry-go-rounds bigger and heavier and creating the initial versions of the current round carousel design. Funfairs made it possible for all classes of people to enjoy these rides. The traditional characters were replaced by popular cartoon characters during this period. Every successful film, cartoon, or comic found its way to the fairgrounds.

By the next century, carousels were being manufactured for amusement parks by many industries. The Great Depression did put a lot of them out of business, except for one — the Philadelphia Toboggan Company. They mainly manufactured roller-coasters; if an amusement park ordered a roller coaster, the company would often add a merry-go-round to the order free of charge. As the Second World War came around, all resources were directed for war efforts, pushing the carousel to the wayside. They rebounded again as the economy improved, and units began to be made from synthetic materials.

A non-profit organization, National Carousel Association, aims to keep carousels running and preserve their history in the United States. They even organize a census, tracking the history of all carousels across the U.S. The President of this association, Bette Largent, along with carousel historian Ronald Hopkins, founded National Merry Go Round Day, to direct attention to the historic carousels still bringing joy to people even today. They especially chose the date, July 25, because it coincides with the day when the first U.S. patent for the modern carousel was given to William Schneider of Davenport, Iowa.