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The best carousels for kids in NYC, Long Island, Westchester and Rockland
There’s no better way to celebrate your childhood than taking a ride on a carousel in New York. Outdoor carousels are the epitome of fun, whether in an amusement park, fair, park or zoo.
There are also many indoor carousels in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, Long Island, Westchester County and Rockland County for kid-friendly fun all year round.
Here you’ll find details about every carousel in and near New York City, including location, hours, price per ride, and a description. As always, please call to confirm the carousel is open before leaving the house to avoid disappointment.
Click on your region to go to carousels near you!
Carousels in Manhattan
Friedsam Memorial Carousel (the Central Park Carousel)
Central Park (middle parking lot on 65th Street)
212-452-0707
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Hours: Daily, 10am – 6pm (hours weather permitting.)
Price: $4 per ride
Located in the heart of Central Park, the 57 horses of this handcrafted carousel run laps to vintage organ music. Please note: Especially in the summer there is often a long queue to ride.
Sea glass carousel
Battery Park (entrance at State and Water Streets), Lower Manhattan
(212) 344-3491
Opening hours: daily, 11am – 8:30pm
Price: $6
Made entirely of glass and steel, this water-themed carousel features 30 sea creatures under color-changing LED lights, making you feel like you’re in an underwater garden.
Le Carrousel
Bryant Park, West 40th Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues, Midtown
(212) 768-4242
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Opening hours: March-May: daily, 11am – 7pm; June-August: daily, 10am – 8pm; September-December, daily, 11am – 8pm (times dependent on weather)
Price: $4 per ride; $30 for a 10-ride discount card
Hear the sounds of Paris and French cabaret as you ride one of 14 prancing animals, including 10 horses, a deer, a rabbit, a frog and a cat. Specially designed to complement the park’s French Classical style, this carousel was created by artists at Fabricon Carousel Company, based in Brooklyn.
Pier 62 Carousel
Hudson River Park, Pier 62, between West 22nd and 23rd Streets, Chelsea
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Opening hours: opening hours vary, see website for more information
Price: $4.50 per ride; free for parents helping children under 42 inches.
Ride animals ranging from unicorns to raccoons, or pretend you’re King Trident as you ride the oyster cart. This carousel is suitable for children in wheelchairs. Restrooms at Pier 61, Chelsea Piers.
Totally Kid Carousel
Riverbank State Park, 679 Riverside Drive at 145th Street, Upper Manhattan
(212) 694-3600
Opening hours: May-September, see website for opening times
Price: $1 child, $2 adult per ride
Opened in 1997, this funky carousel was designed using children’s drawings of animals.
Carousels in Brooklyn
B&B Carrousel
1615 Riegelmann Boardwalk (in Luna Park), Coney Island
(718) 373-5862
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Opening hours: Friday, noon to 10 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, 11am to 10pm
Price: 4 credits
Built in 1906, this historic carousel features 50 wooden horses and has been completely restored and moved to the Steeplechase Plaza. Check the website or call for updates.
Jane’s Carousel
Brooklyn Bridge Park on the East River, Dumbo
(718) 222-2502
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Opening hours: weekdays (closed Tuesdays), 11 a.m. to 6:50 p.m.; weekends, from 10 a.m. to 6:50 p.m
Price: $3 per ride
The 1922 building, named after artist and Dumbo resident Jane Walentas, was renovated and reopened in 2011. There are 1,200 lights and the carousel is housed in a pavilion designed by award-winning architect Jean Nouvel.
Carousels in the Bronx
Insect carousel
Bronx Zoo, 2300 Southern Blvd. (on Fordham Road)
(718) 220-5100
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Opening hours: Open all year round, but opening hours change seasonally. Check the current opening hours
Price: $7 per ride plus general zoo admission. Free general admission for everyone on Wednesdays.
This carousel consists entirely of insects and butterflies and is located next to the Butterfly Garden, where you can see live butterflies flying and flowers in bloom. This carousel is accessible for manual wheelchairs.
Carousels on Staten Island
Carousel for all children
Willowbrook Park, Eton Place on Richmond Avenue
(718) 677-2165
Opening hours: 11am – 5:45pm; Saturday and Sunday in May, Friday to Sunday in June and Thursday to Sunday in July and August
Price: $3.00 per person
Choose your horse from the 51 hand-carved and colorfully painted animals that adorn this Victorian-style wooden merry-go-round, located next to the duck pond. The carousel is accessible to people with a physical disability.
Carousels on Long Island
Greenport antique carousel
Jess Owen Carousel House, Mitchell Park, Greenport
(631) 477-0248
Price: $3.00 per person
Greenport’s carousel sits in a beautiful glass house overlooking the water. It is 100 years old and features hand-painted horses.
Carousels in Westchester County
Playland’s Grand Carousel and Kiddy Carousel
I-95 Exit 19, Rye
(914) 813-7010
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Opening hours: Specific days and hours vary, check website for full schedule
Price: $39.99; $29.99 for children under 48 inches; free for children under 2 years and spectators present (no rides). Westchester residents get a $5 discount.
Playland’s Grand Carousel, built in 1915, features 66 horses in jeweled armor and three handicapped-accessible chariots, all circling a rare Gavioli band organ. Riders must be at least 42 inches tall; children under 42 inches must ride with an adult.
Playland’s Grand Carousel was closed for renovations in 2019; it is not yet known if it will be open for the 2021 season.
Little ones between 36 and 55 centimeters tall can choose to ride the Kiddy Carousel, one of several attractions in the Kiddyland section of the park, aimed at the youngest group of thrill seekers.
Carousels in Bergen County, NJ
Millennium Carousel at the Bergen County Zoo
Van Saun County Park, 216 Forest Ave., Paramus
(201) 364-3100
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Opening hours: Open from Thursday to Sunday from 10am to 4.30pm
Price: $2.00 per ride plus zoo admission. Tickets must be purchased at the zoo train station.
Spend the day viewing animals at the zoo and then riding their likeness.
Carousels in Fairfield County, CT
Beardsley Zoo Carousel
1875 Noble Avenue, Bridgeport
(203) 394-6565
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Opening hours: Daily, 9am – 4pm
Price: Zoo admission: Adult, $16. Child (3-11 years), $13. Seniors (62+), $12. Under 3s free.
This carousel shows colorful versions of the animals you visit in the zoo.
Danbury Fair Mall Carousel
7 Backus Ave., Danbury
(203) 207-0305
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Opening hours: Monday, 10am to 7pm; Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Sunday, 12 noon to 6 p.m
Price: $3 per ride
Located in the food court on the top floor of the mall, this double-decker carousel features rows of wooden horses that move up and down to traditional carnival music. The mall was built on the former site of the Danbury Fair (last held in 1981), and the carousel is a replica of that fair’s carousel.
By New York Family
