Tuesday, September 18, 2007




Daughter-in-Law Kate Wolf (top) and granddaughter Brittany enjoy the Richland Carrousel Park in Mansfield; during the recent celebration of the ride’s 16th birthday.

OUR CARROUSEL—

This carrousel is the first new, hand-carved carrousel to be built and operated in the US since the 1930s. Over 1.25 million dollars were privately raised to begin construction in the fall of 1990. The ride opened for business in August 1991.

In 2006 the carrousel attracted 150,000 riders. They expect to surpass 3 million riders in the summer of 2008.

The locally designed pavilion that houses the all-weather ride is 80 x 80 feet with a 30 foot peak. It also features an attached gift shop. The ride is open year round, 7 days a week—except major holidays.

All of the 52 ride figures were designed, hand carved and hand painted by the Carousel Works of Mansfield. There are 30 horses and 22 other menagerie figures. A Stinson Band Organ made in Bellefontaine, OH provides authentic music.

The facility serves as the anchor feature for an active, downtown redevelopment project just two blocks north of the city’s square.

I remember local nay-sayers grumbling, “I hope the last person to leave downtown remembers to turn off the merry-go-round lights.”

Today nearly 40 businesses operate in the Carrousel District, nearly all enjoying the renewed architectural charm of business buildings there many years ago.

Photography note: The streaking background of the photos helps create an illusion of speed and was done by using a slow shutter speed of 1/20th of a second and panning the camera at exactly the same speed the rider is moving.

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