Located just a ¼ mile from the RWP Zoo is Carousel Village (operated by the RWP Zoo), a year-round destination for all ages! Start your visit with the iconic carousel itself – an indoor ride for both kids and adults. To complete your visit, don’t forget about the outdoor and fully-accessible Hasbro Boundless Playground, which is open for full all year long!
Carousels have contributed to the park’s whimsy since 1897, when one was built across the street next to the Dalrymple Boathouse (the stairs are still there!). The Victorian carousel had a steel frame, corrugated iron roof, stained glass windows, and was 80-feet in diameter. It housed a rise with hand-carved wooden horses with tails and of real horse hair.
In 1893, in the same building, the ride was replaced by Carousel #44 by the Philadelphia Toboggan Company, a ride that included four rows and a total of 66 hand-carved horses. Riders could also reach for a brass ring to win a free ride! In the 1970s, the ride was sold to an amusement park in Virginia and it’s still believed to be in operation today.
An Allan Herschell carousel with aluminum horses operated in the original building until 1990, when the current carousel was built here.
Don’t forget to end your week at Food Truck Friday – an outdoor food truck festival This weekly tradition is filled with delicious meals, live entertainment, and runs weekly from Mid-May through the end of September. (weather-permitting).
For more information, email [email protected] or call (401) 785-3510 ext. 316.
