Central Park Carousel
Coordinates: 40°46′12″N 73°58′31″W / 40.769939°N 73.975261°W
The Central Park Carousel, officially the Michael Friedsam Memorial Carousel,[1] but referred to as the Trump Carousel,[2] is a vintage carousel located in Central Park in Manhattan, New York City, at the southern end of the park, near East 65th Street. It is the fourth carousel in the park since 1871, all located at the same site,[3][4] and is part of the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission's Central Park Scenic Landmark.[3]
Installed in the park in 1951 with a new structure surrounding it,[1][3] it is one of the largest merry-go-rounds in the United States,[4] and was made by Solomon Stein and Harry Goldstein in 1908.[4] It was originally installed in the trolley terminal[4] in Coney Island in Brooklyn,[5] where it operated until the 1940s.[4]
The original 1871 Central Park carousel was powered by a mule or horse under the carousel's platform, signaled to start and stop by the operator tapping his foot. Two succeeding rides were destroyed by fires in 1924 and 1950. The current carousel, which was restored in 1990,[4] has 57 hand-carved horses – 52 jumpers and 5 standers – and two chariots.[3] It is open seven days a week when weather permits, and serves around 250,000 riders every year.[4] The carousel has a Ruth & Sohn band organ playing waltzes, marches, and polkas.[6]
2010 Lease to Donald Trump
In 2010, the City evicted the previous tenant who managed the Carousel and the Trump Organization, a prominent New York City conglomerate headed by public figure Donald J. Trump, stepped in as the new tenant. In return for a lease until 2020, Trump promised to invest $400,000 in renovations over ten years and pay a yearly lease that started at $250,000 and scaled up to $325,000. In statements released as part of the Trump presidential campaign, the Carousel grossed $1.72 million between 2013 and the end of 2015.[2] The Trump Organization has also managed the nearby Wollman Rink on and off since 1987.
In popular culture
- The carousel was notably mentioned in J.D. Salinger's novel The Catcher in the Rye (1951).
- Models of Central Park at Legoland Florida and Legoland California include the carousel.
References
Notes
- 1 2 White, Norval & Willensky, Elliot with Leadon, Fran (2010). AIA Guide to New York City (5th ed.). New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780195383867. p.413
- 1 2 Fitzsimmons, Daniel (February 24, 2016). "Carousel or Donald Trump?". www.nypress.com. Retrieved March 11, 2016.
- 1 2 3 4 New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission; Postal, Matthew A. (ed. and text); Dolkart, Andrew S. (text). (2009) Guide to New York City Landmarks (4th ed.) New York: John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 978-0-470-28963-1 p.133
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Carousel" on the Central Park Conservancy website
- ↑ Hopkins, Roland (November 16, 2008). "Central Park's Stein & Goldstein Celebrates 100th Years". Carousel News. Retrieved January 13, 2013.
- ↑ "Central Park Carousel" on the National Carousel Association website
External links
-
Media related to Central Park Carousel at Wikimedia Commons - Official website
