Creating Memories on Carousel Tour
We recently went to visit my parents, who live in a small town in Pennsylvania. Although I’m happy relaxing, reading for hours on end or chatting with my mom, my kids often get bored while we are there. One of my dad's cousins, who lives in nearby Endicott, New York, mentioned they’d be happy to have us over for lunch and we could check out the famous carousels in the Binghamton area.
Confession time, I had no idea what they were talking about. Famous carousels? Huh?
But yes, Binghamton is the “Carousel Capitol of the World” and boasts six antique carousels in the greater Binghamton area that kids, and adults, can ride for free. You can collect cards for each carousel to complete the Carousel Circuit.
When we visited, a couple of the merry-go-rounds were closed for repairs, but we did visit three in one afternoon. We were able to go to C. Fred Johnson Park on Johnson City, Recreation Park in Binghamton and George W. Johnson Park in Endicott.
Historic Carousels Donated by Businessman
My dad’s cousin was happy to drive us around and give us some of the history of the carousels.
He explained the carousels were donated by George Johnson, of the Endicott Johnson Shoe Company. Johnson was a well-known industrialist and philanthropist. Not only did he give his employees and their families a pair of shoes for Christmas, he also supported parks and recreation in the cities of Binghamton, Endicott and Johnson City.
According to the City of Binghamton’s website, Johnson donated the six carousels between 1919 and 1934, and insisted the rides should be for everyone to enjoy and that the municipalities never charge for the rides.
The carousels are open from Memorial Day to Labor Day. All six are on the New York State Historic Register and the National Register of Historic Places.
They were built and installed between 1919 and 1934, featuring wooden animals, mainly horses. The vintage carousels were hand-carved by the Allan Herschell Company of North Tonawanda, New York.
For more information and a map to the carousels, go to Visit Binghamton or the city's website
We ended up at the George W. Johnson Park last, which worked well for us because not only is it near my relatives’ home, but there was also an Italian ice place right across the street, so we were able to get a tasty treat and cool off after our rides.
Creating adventures for your kids doesn’t always have to be expensive or far from home. Find out what your town or surrounding towns are famous for, or something unique. I had been to Binghamton many times but had no idea about the carousels before this visit. Not only did we enjoy riding the carousels, we also learned a little about the history of the area.
