Merry-Go-Round Museum – Sandusky, Ohio - Atlas Obscura
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Merry-Go-Round Museum

Sandusky, Ohio

Learn about the history and craftsmanship of carousels inside this museum located in a former post office.  

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Merry-Go-Round Museum Nyttend (Public Domain)
Merry-Go-Round Museum Nyttend (Public Domain)
Detail work is apparently how one graduates from rump carver to the [literal] head carver. Excellent detail examples throughout the museum. HTap (Atlas Obscura User)
All kinds of menagerie animals in addition to the traditional (in America) horses. HTap (Atlas Obscura User)
If you are lucky the wood carver will be in to tell you about some of his pieces and his story. Otherwise there’s a great display showing the progress of a piece. HTap (Atlas Obscura User)
Display of carousel horses chrisbhammett (Atlas Obscura User)
The museum's oldest carousel horse chrisbhammett (Atlas Obscura User)
Sea monsters on the museum's working carousel chrisbhammett (Atlas Obscura User)
Museum includes a functioning full-size antique merry-go-round HTap (Atlas Obscura User)
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The idea for a museum dedicated to carousels began in 1988 when the United States Postal Service issued four unique carousel stamps. One stamp featured the King horse from the Kiddieland carousel ride at Cedar Point amusement park. To celebrate the release, some local Sandusky residents decided to use the vacant Sandusky Post Office to showcase, what is considered, one of rarest carousel figures. Inside, a display was created for the horse and other merry-go-round figures. Only a few hundred people were expected to attend, however, well over 2000 visitors from across the country stopped by the exhibit.

After the extravaganza, a non-profit was formed to celebrate and preserve the history of carousels. The non-profit brought the former post office building and opened the museum officially in 1990. In addition to the collection of carousels, the museum also features a woodcarving shop where volunteer woodcarvers craft new carousel figurines and restore the neglected. You can also ride the museum’s own historic carousel.

carousels museums
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