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SEASON’S OPENING
OF INDOOR BUSHNELL PARK CAROUSEL
ON SATURDAY, APRIL 26
Still Only $1 a Ride, All Season Long
People of all
ages are invited to Opening Day of the 2008 season at the
historic Bushnell Park Carousel on Saturday, April 26 from 11
a.m. to 5 p.m. in Downtown Hartford’s Bushnell Park. At
11 a.m.,
the 94-year-old, three-row carousel will mark its first spin with
a pull of the reins and a loud “Giddy Yup” yelled by the crowd.
All day long on Opening Day, the celebration will feature
a variety of entertainment and activities,
including arts and crafts, juggling, miming, music, a magic show,
the making of balloon animals. Opening day activities are sponsored
in part by the Greater Hartford Arts Council.
All season-long, a
ticket to ride the indoor carousel will be only $1 for adults and
children alike. Children, one year of age and under, will ride for
free.
”The Bushnell Park
Carousel is one of less than 200 antique wooden carousels that
remain in operation in the U.S. – down from thousands at the
turn-of-the-century,” explains Louise DeMars, Executive Director of
the New England Carousel Museum of Bristol, which manages the
carousel for the City of Hartford. “This year, we continue our
‘Countdown to 100’, in anticipation of the carousel’s 100th
anniversary in 2014.”
The Bushnell Park Carousel was created in 1914 by Solomon Stein and
Harry Goldstein, owners of the Artistic Carousel Company of
Brooklyn, New York,” says Ms. DeMars. “It is one of only three Stein
& Harry carousels left in operation in the U.S. that still provides
rides for the public.” The carousel features 36 jumper horses (going
up and down), 12 standers (stationary horses), two chariots, and a
Wurlitzer 153 band organ. It operated in Albany, New York until 1940
when it moved to Meyers Lake Amusement Park in Canton, Ohio,
where it gave hundreds of thousands of
rides to children of all ages. In 1974, Hartford’s Knox
Foundation brought the carousel to Bushnell Park as part of the
revitalization of the Downtown area.”
All season-long,
carousel-lovers can discover a permanent display inside of the
enclosed pavilion that shelters the ride. Colorful panels providing
interesting facts and information about the history of carousels in
the U.S. are mounted on the walls for the pleasure of adults and
children. Also featured every day are three-dimensional decorative
pieces of carving styles to illustrate how different manufacturers
created their own signature look and character. For example, the
Bushnell Park Carousel horses, chariots and decorative trim are of
the Coney Island style, with a magnificent and glitzy sort of
design. In contrast, the Philadelphia-style carousel is very
different with a much more realistic look.
The
horses of the Country Fair Style of design are usually smaller and
less detailed than the others. Inside the pavilion, people can view
examples of the different styles of trim pieces decorating the
perimeter of the pavilion.
“Historic carousels
like our Bushnell Park Carousel are an endangered species in the
U.S.,” notes Ms. DeMars. “We want to encourage people to come enjoy
this treasure and learn about its unique history and art. If people
begin caring and supporting Hartford’s carousel today, then it can
be still be around for their great-grandchildren to enjoy in the
future.”
The New England
Carousel Museum accomplishes this through a variety of hands-on,
educational programs, such as the on-site displays, and “Spin &
Learn”, which introduces people to the art and history of the
Bushnell Park Carousel. The staff also shares information with
visitors about the art and history of its magnificent carousel by
answering riders’ questions every day. Ms. DeMars notes that the
Bushnell Park’s Carousel’s $1-per-ride admission goes to fund
general operations and ongoing refurbishing of the horses and the
pavilion itself.
The
City of Hartford also contributes to the general operation of the
Carousel.
The Bushnell
Park Carousel also is available for birthday parties, receptions,
photo opportunities, tours, ride and craft parties, and Spin & Learn
programs. Carousel lovers may join the Friends of the Bushnell Park
Carousel, the New England Carousel Museum, or a Combined Membership,
which provides unlimited use of both facilities.
The Bushnell Park Carousel’s
2008
hours are: Tuesdays through Sundays, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and is
closed Mondays. It is inside an enclosed pavilion, and closes only
during severe weather. The Carousel also is open during selected
special events in Bushnell Park through October.
For more
information about the Bushnell Park Carousel or the New England
Carousel Museum, or to donate to help the carousel’s restoration
process, call (860) 585-5411.
[DIRECTIONS
TO THE BUSHNELL PARK CAROUSEL]
The
New England Carousel Museum
95 Riverside Avenue, Rt. 72
Bristol, Connecticut 06010
Phone - (860) 585-5411 Fax - (860) 314-0483
Email -
info@thecarouselmuseum.org
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