Carousel Day is July 25 - Here's How Carousels Are Celebrating

By Elizabeth Salenius

July 22, 2025

This Friday, July 25, is National Carousel Day! Here are just a few of the carousels that are doing something special to celebrate the holiday. This is by no means an exhaustive list, and I encourage you to visit your local carousel on Friday to see what might be going on and enjoy a ride! 

The Berkshire Carousel - Pittsfield, MA

The Berkshire Carousel, usually only open Saturdays and Sundays, will be open Friday, July 25 for Carousel Day. They will be hosting an evening event running from 5pm to 8pm. 

Specialty cocktails made by Zucchini’s, a local restaurant, will be available for adult visitors. 

An ice cream and candy cart will be offering free treats with the purchase of a ride ticket, which are just $2 each! 

The Berkshire Carousel was founded by Jim and Jackie Shulman. It was a community project with over 300 volunteers contributing to hand-carve and paint the figures, chariots, and decor. 

Click here to visit the Berkshire Carousel’s website.

Click here to visit the Berkshire Carousel’s FaceBook page. 

Paragon Carousel - Hull, MA

Carousel Day also just so happens to be the Paragon Carousel's anniversary. It was manufactured by Philadelphia Toboggan Company, who labeled it carousel #85, and it opened July 25, 1928 at the now-defunct Paragon Park amusement park. 

The Paragon Carousel will be hosting a storytime even when the doors open at 10am. The story begins at 10:30 with their guest storyteller, a Girl from the Enchanted Land! When the story ends, guests will sing "Happy Birthday" to the carousel and enjoy free birthday cake. 

Carousel rides will be just $1 from 12pm to 9pm! The Paragon Carousel is a four-row carousel, so there are plenty of horses to choose from! 

Click here to visit the Paragon Carousel's website.

Click here to visit the Paragon Carousel's FaceBook page.

Balboa Park Carousel - San Diego, CA

The Balboa Park Carousel, manufactured in 1910 by the Herschell-Spillman Company, is offering free rides all day to celebrate Carousel Day!

There will also be family-friendly events and performances throughout the day, along with local food trucks set up nearby. The Balboa Park Carousel is open 11am to 5:30pm. 

Click here to visit the Balboa Park Carousel's website.

Click here to visit the Balboa Park Carousel's FaceBook page.

The Carousel of Dreams - Franklin, TN

The Carousel of Dreams, which only just recently opened, has quite a few things planned for Carousel Day! 

The artist and creator of the carousel, Ken Means, will be present and signing commemorative posters (while supplies last--so get there early to secure one)! They will be offering 25% off of their t-shirts, and their neighboring ice cream shop, Fork of the South, will offering $1 off ice cream cones with purchase of a ride ticket.

The carousel hours are 10am to 8pm and ride tickets are $5.

Click here to visit the Carousel of Dreams' website.

Click here to visit the Carousel of Dreams' FaceBook page.

Coeur d'Alene Carousel - Coeur d'Alene, ID 

The Coeur d'Alene Carousel, manufactured in 1922 by Spillman Engineering, will be celebrating Carousel Day by offering free face painting, balloon animals, and popcorn. Visitors can also enter for a chance to win free rides and carousel t-shirts, storybooks, and necklaces!

Ride tickets are $2.50 each or 10 for $20. The carousels hours are 11am to 5pm

Click here to visit the Coeur d'Alene Carousel's website.

Click here to visit the Coeur d'Alene Carousel's FaceBook page.

A Carousel for Missoula - Missoula, MT

A Carousel for Missoula will be giving free rides to children 12 years old and under thanks to support from their local Chick-fil-A to celebrate Carousel Day. The carousel hours are 11am to 7pm.

A Carousel for Missoula is a community project started by cabinet maker Chuck Kaparich in 1991, when he told the Missoula City Council, "if you will give it a home, and promise no one will ever take it apart, I will build A Carousel for Missoula." The carousel opened in 1995 with figures designed and hand-carved and painted by volunteers.

Click here to visit the A Carousel for Missoula website.

Click here to visit the A Carousel for Missoula FaceBook page.

The Merry-Go-Round Museum - Sandusky, OH

The Merry-Go-Round museum will be providing unlimited free carousel rides with admission on Carousel Day. The museum hours are 10am to 4pm. In addition to Carousel Day, the museum is also celebrating its 35th anniversary! 

The Merry-Go-Round Museum opened in 1990 as a non-profit organization. It hosts a large collection of carousel figures and art within a unique building that was once used as a post office! 

Click here to visit the Merry-Go-Round Museum's website.

Click here to visit the Merry-Go-Round Museum's FaceBook page.

The Carousel Museum - Bristol, CT

The Carousel Museum is hosting its Carousel Day celebrations a day late on Saturday, July 26, from 11am to 3pm. Tickets are $15 in advance or $20 at the door.

The day's activities include carousel rides, games, arts and crafts, food trucks, and more! Be sure to make time to walk through their beautiful collection of carousel figures and art! 

The Carousel Museum, formerly known as the New England Carousel Museum, is a non-profit organization founded in 1990. In addition to its large collection of antique and modern carousel figures, the museum also boasts a working restoration studio where their team does restoration for private collections and operating carousels. 

Click here to visit the Carousel Museum's website.

Click here to visit the Carousel Museum's FaceBook page.