Carousel Museum Collection
In preparation for your year end tax donations, please consider donating to the Carousel Museum's transportation fund! Our permanent collection of carousel animals continues to grow each year. Donations to the collection have come from all over the United States including, Maine, Connecticut, New York, Kansas, Las Vegas, New Jersey, California, and New York. Your support of our transportation fund will help us get these animals to the Museum and into their forever home!
Museum After Hours: Adult Lecture Series
The Carousel Museum's evening lecture series, held monthly on Thursdays in 2024 features presentations, exhibition openings, artist & author talks, and workshops. Join scholars and experts as they share their vast knowledge of the art and history of carousels, carvers, artists, and your favorite carousels. Museum After Hours will be held from 6:00-7:30 PM with a wine and cheese reception taking place 6:00-6:30 PM. Admission to this series is included with general admission, and as always museum members are free.
May 2 - Treasures From the Archive
Presented by Kristen Berggren
The Carousel Museum is home to an extensive archival collection. Come join us as we explore what treasures it holds.
July 11th: “Mystery in the Barn”
Marcus Illions was arguably the most talented carousel carver at Coney Island, crafting steeds with wide-eyed expressions and elaborate manes. His last carousel would have been a sight to behold, but unfortunately, it never opened for business. Instead, it wound up abandoned in a barn in rural Pennsylvania, and then it disappeared! So what happened to it? Join PA author and historian Jessica Weible as she unravels this nearly century-old mystery.
August 8: “Theme Parks of Yesteryear”Most people are familiar with Disneyland, but have you ever heard of Freedomland or Pleasure Island? The 1950's and 60's saw a new generation of amusement parks with specific themes, elaborate animated attractions and live entertainment. Unfortunately, many of them did not survive to the present day and now only exist as a series of photos, videos and memorabilia. Join Massachusetts author Robert McLaughlin as he brings the memories of three defunct theme parks back to life (Pleasure Island in Wakefield, MA, Freedomland in the Bronx, NY and Magic Mountain in Golden, CO), then view the carousel memorabilia we have from these parks on display here at the Museum!
September 12: “Echoes on the Hill: The Story of Suburban Park”
Join local author Olivia Germano for a signing of her recently released book “Echoes on the Hill: The Story of Suburban Park” followed by an in-depth history of this short-lived local trolley park and its carousel that once entertained thousands of patrons every weekend in Unionville, CT, a once-bustling mill town on the banks of the Farmington River. Discover why trolley parks like Suburban Park were so important to American life in the early 1900’s, and why almost all of them eventually closed. Are there any remains of Suburban Park left? (The answer may surprise you!)