Crescent Park Carousel

In my Historic Slater Park post I mentioned that there was a Looff carousel there and that I would do a separate post about it.  Today instead of taking photos of the Slater Park carousel which I wasn't sure was open I decided to go check out Crescent Park in Riverside, RI where there is also a Looff carousel.  I hadn't been there for a while and it was one of the first places I decided to explore when I moved to Rhode Island.

Charles I. D. Looff was born in Denmark and became a master carver and builder of amusement rides.  He created the first carousel at Coney Island and also built the famous Santa Monica Pier.  Originally his factory was at Coney Island, but when the land his factory was on was claimed by eminent domain he moved his factory to Crescent Park.  Although the Slater Park carousel was built in 1894 and the Crescent Park carousel a year later, Looff used the Crescent Park carousel as a showpiece to drum up more business.  The Crescent Park carousel has sixty-one horses, one camel, two single coaches, and two double chariots.  Both the Slater Park and Crescent Park carousels are National Historic Landmarks.

Crescent Park is a lovely little park with a water view.

You can walk down some stairs to reach the water but there is no real beach.

The Crescent Park Carousel is across the street in a beautiful little onion dome building that's almost as interesting as the carousel.  Just as important as the carousel itself is the band organ that you can hear all over the park.  It is essential to the whole unique atmosphere.  To hear a recording of the organ, click here.

One step through the doors of the building and you're in Fantasyland.  There are stained glass windows around the entire building.

And there are intricate panels of different scenes around the top of the carousel.  Each one is unique.

But the horses are what catch your eye - each one also different.

Each one is truly a work of art, but like all art some just touch a part of you that defies explaination.  I LOVE this one.

And then there is the lone camel.  He didn't have much appeal as far as I was concerned.

And there was one fabulous dragon coach.  You can see the edge of it in this picture.

Here is a close up of the side.

I couldn't just take pictures and not experience a ride!  There was a fabulous black horse that I didn't realize I hadn't gotten a picture of until I got home.  I would have ridden him except he didn't go up and down!  What's the point?  Here is my trusty steed. 

Getting on was a bit of a challenge with my purse and camera and the fact that he had stopped at the top of the up and down sequence, but I managed.  And this is the horse next to mine.

The view from my horse.  And I couldn't help but look up at the ceiling.

I had to buy a ticket not only to ride but to get a close up shot of the tableau that was in the center of the carousel.

As you can see the detail in the carvings were incredible.  Young and old enjoyed the two (or three) minute escape from reality on a gorgeous day, except for one little girl who cried and screamed the entire time who was right in front of me!

That must have been grandpa she was with.  The guy who was collecting tickets went over and suggested that they sit in one of the chariots or on a horse that didn't go up and down, but grandpa insisted she ride where she was.  The only one who didn't have a fabulous time!