The Carousel On The National Mall

Walking along the National Mall in Washington there is so much to see from museums to massive monuments it would be easy to overlook a carousel tucked into a shady area on the periphery.

Photo by me, July 2015.

I was walking back towards the Smithsonian subway station after a long, hot July day on the mall when I noticed the carousel. I didn't have much time or energy left so I took a quick photo because I have a fondness for carousels. I wish I could have taken a spin on it or gotten a closer look but it was closed for day when I passed.

I am fond of carousels because they are beautiful with bold colors, can have intricate carvings and designs, display a level of craftsmanship that is rare to find these days and they are a simple thrill ride that doesn't require you to be jostled by a roller coaster or thrown into the air at some insane speed.

This particular coaster is unique in that it features four horses per row on which to ride. No other carousel of this type has been built since that features four horses abreast that jump.

The carousel has been located on the mall since 1981 but it was originally built for an amusement park in Maryland. The Allen Herschell Company were the builders and they constructed this carousel in 1947.

Atlas Obscura has more photos of this carousel and a bit more on the history of it too.

The Carousel At Zoo Atlanta

Photo by me, February 2013.

A carousel for me is a reminder of days gone by like my childhood and times of more simple and grand forms of amusement. Carousels are a fantastical and leisurely ride in circles bobbing up and down on wooden animals instead of the adrenaline pumping theme park rides of modern times. Yet, carousels have somehow managed to survive maybe because they still amuse small children and satisfy the nostalgia of us older adults. Aside from the nostalgia I like carousels because they are beautiful, the animals are often hand carved and are a display of quality craftsmanship and because they are colorful. I tend to think of them as a piece of art that you can ride.

Photo by me, February 2013.

Despite the feelings of nostalgia it might evoke the carousel inside Zoo Atlanta is not an old one however, it was built in 1998. It was built by the Ohio company Carousel Works, which is the largest manufacturer of carousels in the world. I remember walking through the zoo last year and lighting up in a smile at the sight of the carousel. The bright colors and the animals resurrected feelings of being a child again if ever so briefly. I don't think a person can be unhappy around a carousel except for maybe a child whose parent won't let them ride it again.

Photo by me, February 2013.

It's difficult to resist the sweet stare of those elephant's eyes. The animals are all made of wood lined up in a herd of three rows. There are bears, elephants, leopards, tigers, a giraffe and other animals with two sleighs to ride if you prefer that over mounting an animal. The current carousel had a predecessor outside the zoo and located in Grant Park. It was installed in 1966 but was sold off in the 1980s and today it is amusing young and old in Chattanooga.

Photo by me, February 2013.

If you are interested in carousels there are a few of others that I can think of nearby in the Atlanta suburbs and they are located at Northpoint Mall in Alpharetta, Sugarloaf Mills in Duluth and one at Six Flags Over Georgia.