Carousel Gardens Amusement Park facts for kids
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| Location | New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S. |
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| Opened | (Carousel moved to current location) 1928 |
| Operating season | Seasonal |
| Area | City Park |
| Website | http://neworleanscitypark.com/in-the-park/carousel-gardens |
Welcome to Carousel Gardens, a super fun amusement park in New Orleans, Louisiana! It's part of the big New Orleans City Park. This park has lots of cool rides, like the Live Oak Ladybug Rollercoaster, a giant ferris wheel, and a thrilling drop tower called the Coney Tower. You can even ride a miniature train that takes you all around the park!
One of the most special things here is the "Flying Horses" carousel. It's one of the oldest carousels in the whole United States! The park is usually open on weekends, but it's closed on holidays. To get in, it costs $4 per person or per ride, or you can get an unlimited ride wristband for $18. Kids under 36 inches tall get in free! You can also buy season passes to visit all year. Remember, no pets or food are allowed inside, and you'll need a wristband to enter.
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Exciting Rides and Fun Attractions
Carousel Gardens has 18 awesome rides for families to enjoy! Each ride has a height rule, so park staff will measure you to make sure you're tall enough to ride safely. Safety is super important here, just like at any other amusement park.
Here are some of the rides and their height requirements:
| Tilt-A-Whirl | You must be at least 46 inches tall to ride. |
| Bumper Cars | You must be at least 48 inches tall to ride. |
| Ferris wheel | You must be at least 48 inches tall to ride. |
| Scrambler | You must be at least 48 inches tall to ride. |
| Train | You must be at least 48 inches tall to ride. Each ticket costs $5. |
| Wacky Shack | You must be at least 42 inches tall to ride, or ride with a parent. |
| Fun Slide | You must be at least 42 inches tall to ride, or ride with a parent. |
| Rockin’ Tug | You must be at least 42 inches tall to ride, or ride with a parent. |
| Coney Tower | You must be at least 42 inches tall to ride. |
| Carousel (Flying Horses) | You must be at least 42 inches tall, or ride with an adult. This famous carousel is the park's main attraction! |
| Construction Zone | You must be at least 36 inches tall to ride, or ride with a parent. |
| Slime Buckets | You must be at least 36 inches tall to ride, or ride with a parent. |
| Monkey Jump | You must be at least 36 inches tall to ride. |
| Red Barron | You must be at least 36 inches tall to ride. |
| Umbrella Cars | You must be at least 36 inches tall to ride. |
| Lady Bug Rollercoaster | You must be at least 52 inches tall to ride. |
| Music Express | You must be at least 52 inches tall to ride. |
A Look at the Park's History
The larger City Park, where Carousel Gardens is located, has been around for about 150 years! The famous "Flying Horses" carousel in Carousel Gardens is even older, running for over 100 years. It's the oldest ride in the park and has been there since 1906, still using its original motor! The carousel moved to its current spot in 1928. Its music comes from a special old instrument called a Wurlitzer #150 Band Organ.
This amazing carousel is one of only about 100 hand-carved carousels left in the United States, and it's the only one in Louisiana. Some of the animal figures on the carousel are even older, made in 1885! There are 56 figures in total: 53 animals and two chariots.
Two talented artists, Charles Looff and Charles Carmel, carved and hand-painted all the figures. Charles Looff was a famous carousel builder who created over 50 carousels, amusement parks, and rollercoasters in his lifetime. Charles Carmel learned from Looff and then started his own work. You can often spot his unique style on the horses' tongues, blankets, and armor.
The Looff figures are older and have fake gemstones. Some of the animals' heads even move! All the horses have real horse hair in their tails, and the lion figures are super heavy, weighing about 500 pounds!
This historic carousel has been featured in many movies, TV shows, and commercials. Movies like Living Proof (2008–2009), Now You See Me (2013), and 22 Jump Street (2014) were filmed here. TV shows like NCIS New Orleans and American Horror Story also used the carousel as a filming location. You might have even seen it in commercials for Nike, Adidas, and Toyota.
Artist Tami Curtis was so inspired by the carousel that she painted pictures of each horse. She sold her paintings and gave half the money back to the park. She loves the old-fashioned look and how the carousel connects generations through its art and history.
Passes and Special Events
Carousel Gardens Amusement Park offers season passes and is a great place to host birthday parties! With a season pass, you get unlimited rides in Carousel Gardens and the nearby Storyland Park for a whole year. Passes also give you 20% off boat and bicycle rentals.
Since Carousel Gardens is part of City Park, you can also book parties for groups of 25–50 guests for two hours. The park provides everything you need, including seating, pizza or sandwiches, muffins, ice cream, drinks, and even a free T-shirt for the birthday person! You can choose between indoor and outdoor party spots.
Besides private parties, the park also hosts special events for families, especially around holidays. One of the biggest events is "Celebration in the Oaks," which takes place across the entire City Park, including Carousel Gardens.
What People Think About the Park
Many visitors have shared their thoughts about Carousel Gardens and City Park. People often say City Park is "worth seeing" or New Orleans' "best kept secret." They describe it as "beautiful, magical," and "one of their favorite places to visit." There's so much to do that many wish they had more time or could come back again soon.
Visitors often talk about the antique, "classy" carousel and how the park is a wonderful place to make memories with family. The historical parts of the park, like the beautiful old trees and the carousel itself, are big draws. Many guests have enjoyed parties there, and others say it's "not only beautiful, but peaceful" – a great escape from city traffic.
Some people mention that some rides are best for younger children, but overall, everyone agrees it's a lovely place to visit and spend time with family.
A writer for The New York Times, Amy Tara Koch, even wrote about Carousel Gardens. She compared it to bigger vacation spots like Disney World and explained why she preferred parks like Carousel Gardens. She noted that it's much more affordable than Disney. She also loved the historical and educational side of the park, especially with its "century old hand painted, wooden carousel." She even gave tips on how to make a full day of fun by visiting other nearby attractions.
