A nonprofit arts & culture organization  •  Nederland, CO  •  303.258.3457

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Carousel History Exhibit

These images and more are on display in the Carousel room.

A 1905 Patent for Merry-Go-Rounds
A 1905 PATENT FOR MERRY-GO-ROUNDS: This patent was awarded to William F. Mangels in 1905. The mechanism of the Carousel of Happiness was designed according to this patent. One hundred years later, the essential design of the machine remains the same, still turning the platform and allowing the animals to dance with you. Mangels arrived in the United States in 1883 as a 16-year-old immigrant. He later formed the W.F. Mangels Company, which would go on to become one of the world’s largest manufacturers of amusement park rides.
1876 — Charles Looff’s First Carousel
1876 — LOOFF’S FIRST CAROUSEL: Charles I.D. Looff arrived in New York City from Denmark in 1870 as a teenager. He found work as a carver at a furniture factory in Brooklyn. Some days he brought home scraps of wood to his apartment and began carving them into carousel animals. Young Looff assembled his wooden horses and animals onto a circular platform and created his first carousel, shown here. In 1876, he installed his ride at Lucy Vandeveer’s Bathing Pavilion at West Sixth Street and Surf Avenue. This was Coney Island’s first carousel and first amusement ride.
The Great Saltair: 1893 – 1958
THE GREAT SALTAIR: 1893 – 1958: This Charles Looff carousel was built and delivered to “The Great Saltair Park” in 1917. The park was situated on 2,000 pylons on the shore of the Great Salt Lake. Visitors arrived on a special train from Salt Lake City. The carousel was the first attraction to greet visitors getting off the train.
Arriving at The Great Saltair Park
ARRIVING AT THE GREAT SALTAIR PARK: Here, the carousel can be seen in front of the park’s magnificent dance hall depicted in the center of this photograph. Visitors could dance in the hall or swim in the Great Salt Lake. This was a time when men’s swimwear required a top and some women were just beginning to wear form-fitting, one-piece suits. On land, visitors dressed up for their special time at the park, men in their best suits and hats, women in long dresses and bonnets, and children in their knickerbockers and best outfits.
Charles Looff Carousels
CHARLES LOOFF CAROUSELS: This is the Saltair carousel in its mirrored splendor. Charles Looff, the maker of this carousel, was known for using mirrors to surround the carousel and catch the light at different angles. Looff used mirrors for many of his carousels instead of the paintings that were used by other carousel makers at the time.
Fairyland: the Carousel at Utah State School, 1959 – 1986
FAIRYLAND: THE CAROUSEL AT UTAH STATE SCHOOL, 1959 – 1986: In 1959, shortly after Saltair Park declared bankruptcy, Utah’s governor gave the carousel to the Utah State Training School, a residence and vocational training facility for individuals with mental and physical disabilities. It was put in a park on the school grounds named Fairyland. In recognition of this part of the carousel’s history, community members in Nederland have made dozens of fairies that now surround the Carousel of Happiness.
The Rooster Meets His Maker
THE ROOSTER MEETS HIS MAKER: Nederland carver Scott Harrison stares down one of his creations in his workshop.
The Carousel in 1986
THE CAROUSEL IN 1986: In 1986, Charlotte Dinger, a private collector of carousel and wooden carousel animals, bought the carousel and removed its wooden animals to be sold separately. Scott Harrison learned that the remaining carousel structure would be sent to a scrap metal yard. He quickly bought it, as pictured here in this photograph. Scott and a friend spent two weekends taking it apart and bringing it back to Nederland.
Disassembly of the Looff
DISASSEMBLY OF THE LOOFF: While at the Utah State Training School, the carousel had its own roof that partially protected the mechanism from the weather. Here, the carousel roof structure is being taken apart for the move to Colorado.
The Nederland Community Builds its Carousel House
THE NEDERLAND COMMUNITY BUILDS ITS CAROUSEL HOUSE: The carousel’s distinctive, 12-sided building was funded, designed, and built with the help of hundreds of people. The carousel’s “twirling girl,” Eliana Dreyfus, who was visiting from her home in Switzerland, participated in the ground breaking on July 25, 2008. Nederland’s mayor declared it “Twirling Girl Day.”
The Carousel is Assembled
THE CAROUSEL IS ASSEMBLED: As the building was being finished, the carousel was assembled using new wood, paint, and original metal parts, all cleaned and ready for action. Here, the tiger waits patiently for its friends to arrive.
Animals Await Their Time
ANIMALS AWAIT THEIR TIME: The animals, along with floor panels and other parts of the carousel, spent years in storage at a mining supply warehouse in Nederland, part of the old Wolf Tongue complex. Soon after the carousel building was finished and the carousel assembled, the animals paraded the few blocks to their new home.
A Coyote is Carved
A COYOTE IS CARVED: This coyote is getting its fur a few hairs at a time. A variety of carving tools are used to create each animal. Knives, chisels, gouges, a wooden mallet, and power tools are all used to make the shapes. Eventually they are painted, but it’s only when you come to visit that the animals really come to life.
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Carousel of Happiness

P.O Box 1811, Nederland, CO 80466

303.258.3457
[email protected]

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The Carousel of Happiness is dedicated to inspiring happiness, well-being, and service to others through stories and experiences.

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HOURS

LAST RIDE OF THE DAY AT 4:45 pm

Friday, Saturday and Sunday: 10 am – 5 pm

Monday & Thursday: 11 am – 5 pm

Tuesday & Wednesday: CLOSED

Call (303) 258-3457 for more information

 

Open 7 days a week after Memorial Day!