The SeaGlass Carousel

The SeaGlass Carousel in New York City’s Battery Park is housed inside a glass-paneled nautilus shell that sits atop the site of the original New York Aquarium.

Opened in August 2015, the carousel is the creation of the Battery Conservancy and George Tsypin, a renowned opera and theater designer who is the man behind the staging of LaScala operas, the Sochi Olympics, and the Spider-man Broadway musical. Constructed as a public-private project, it took 10 years and several million dollars to bring the SeaGlass Carousel to life.

The SeaGlass Carousel features 30 fiberglass fish spotlighting 12 different species, while the mechanics are unique in that there’s no traditional center pole. By putting individual motors for each fish below the floor, the riders have unobstructed views while the fish both spin independently and swirl around each other as though swimming through the ocean.

Rides of the SeaGlass Carousel will also experience a changing LED light display that makes one feel as though they are truly underwater. To add to the overall experience, each fiberglass fish contains its own speakers that play aquatic sounds and music specifically composed for the ride. 

Each of the fish in the carousel is modeled after an actual species ranging from tall angelfish to the much smaller clown triggerfish. No matter which you choose, it will resemble one underwater lifeform or another that can actually be found out in the ocean