Park News Article
Take A Spin on the Historic Carousel at the NYS Museum!
March 10, 2025
Have you taken a trip to enjoy the New York State Museum‘s legendary carousel? Often regarded as one of the museum’s most popular attractions, its history can be traced back to the late 1800s!
The animals of the carousel were carved around 1895 by a Brooklyn man named Charles Dare, who was a German immigrant employed as a toymaker. The carousel itself was created by the Herschell-Spillman Company in North Tonawanda, NY between 1912 and 1916, and the finished product made its grand debut on Memorial Day in the Western NY town of Wellsville. Spanning 48 feet across, this massive carousel could carry up to 50 people at a time! Its debut was met with fanfare and praise, and subsequently traveled by train between various local fairs in NY’s Southern Tier region during the summer months.
It originally featured forty animals, including 36 horses in three different sizes, 2 deer, and 2 donkeys. Most carousels only featured horses, so it was unusual and rare to have donkeys and deer amongst the typical sea of horses. Along with the varying animals exists two chariots and a spinning “Love Tub”. The animals were placed in three rows, with the largest on the outside featuring inset jewels that glitter when caught by the light.
By 1933, the carousel became the main attraction at Cuba Lake’s Olivecrest Amusement Park in the town of Cuba, NY and remained until 1972. In 1975, the NYS Museum purchased the carousel and began restoration efforts in Rotterdam, NY until it was permanently installed on the museum’s terrace in 2001. Following further aesthetic and mechanical restoration efforts over the past few years, this iconic piece of the state museum has been fully updated with a new sound system, new hardware, lighting, carpets, paint, and 758 energy efficient bulbs.
Today you can experience this amazing carousel on the fourth floor of the museum Tuesday-Sunday between 11:00am-4:00pm. Whether you’re looking for free family fun or want to check out the intricate details of this historic attraction, the NYS Museum has it all for a unique outing in Albany! For those coming from out of town, paid on-street parking is available along Madison Avenue, and free on-street parking is available all-day on Saturdays & Sundays!
