The museum displays hundreds of antique carousel animals, mainly horses, but includes lions, and tigers, elephants, pigs, and porpoises. There are miniature replica carousels and an original band organ that the staff demonstrates – loudly! The Wurlitzer band organ music, normally run from rolls like those used in player pianos, was designed to muffle the annoying and distracting clanking sounds from the carousel mechanism.

Carousels traditionally have 3 concentric circles of animals; the outer circle having the more ornate animals and the inner circle the most plainly decorated animals. There are 3 stances for carousel animals: Standers have 3 legs on the ground and one hoof up; these do not go up and down on the ride. Prancers have 2 back hoofs down and 2 front legs up; they do not go up and down. Jumpers have all 4 legs off the ground and they go up and down on the carousel.

Prior to carving, the master carvers sketch the animals on large pieces of paper that are tacked to the wall or, in the absence of paper, sketch directly on plaster walls. The master carver crafts the animal’s head, which expresses its personality, while his assistants carves the body and legs.

Animal hide glue and dowels connect 70 to 100 pieces of wood (poplar or bass) to make the animals. The heads and legs are solid but the bodies are hollow. Originally horses tails were made from horse hair to give the animal a realistic look. Over time the horse hair would fall out or become tangled so the original tails were usually replaced with wooden ones. Original antlers are used on deer as wooden antlers proved too fragile.

The New England Carousel Museum boasts a Lincoln Head Penny Horse, carved in 1909 to commemorate the first issue of the Lincoln head penny on the 100th anniversary of Lincoln’s birth.
This is probably the only remaining Lincoln Head Penny horse out of the original 3 that were carved.

The second floor of the museum is filled with antique fire-fighting equipment and accessories and there is soon to be a small Greek museum as well.

The Carousel Museum is accessible from Rts 91 or 84. In nearby Bushnell Park there’s a working carousel c. 1914, open from May through October.

Carousel Museum site:
http://thecarouselmuseum.org/

Photos of the Carousel Museum:
http://modigliani.shutterfly.com/carouselmuseum

Hi adrienne - fascinating... in fact, sounds kind of freaky being surrounded by all these animals. I'll try to keep that in mind next time we head to Hartford.

So, how many of them can you ride?

yk - it was fascinating!

Anon - You can't ride any of the animals at the museum; they're display only. There are 2 horses you can touch so I guess you can sit on them but I didn't try that.

If you go to nearby Bushnell Park you can ride that carousel.

Your pictures were great. A place I would stop in just to see the old carousel rides we used to take. Thx