Nunley's facts for kids
Nunley's was a fun carousel and amusement park located in Baldwin, Nassau County, New York. It was a popular spot for families from 1940 to 1995. Before moving to Baldwin, the famous Nunley's Carousel was in Golden City Park in Canarsie, Brooklyn, New York City, from 1912 to 1939.
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History of Nunley's Park
Nunley's Carousel: Its Early Days (1912-1939)
The carousel that became Nunley's was first built in 1912. It was made by the Stein and Goldstein Artistic Carousell Co. in Brooklyn, New York. It was first called "Murphy's" carousel. For 20 years, it brought joy to riders at Golden City Park in Canarsie, Brooklyn.
The horses on this carousel were special. They were carved in a "Coney Island style." This meant they looked strong and fierce, not like gentle ponies. They often had bared teeth and their heads were lifted high, as if they were galloping fast.
In the spring of 1940, a new road called the Belt Parkway was planned for the area. Because of this, the carousel had to move. It found a new home in Baldwin, right next to Freeport.
Nunley's Amusement Park in Baldwin (1940-1995)
In Baldwin, Nunley's was located on Sunrise Highway. It was open from 1940 until 1995. William Nunley started Nunley's Carousel and Amusement Park. His family had been in the amusement park business for a long time. He also ran parks in other places like Bethpage and Yonkers.
This children's amusement park had many exciting rides. There was a roller coaster, small boats that floated on water, and hand pedal cars on a track. Kids could also enjoy a Ferris wheel, spinning tubs, and little planes. There was even a miniature golf course and, of course, the famous carousel. Many parents who visited had ridden the same carousel when they were kids. Children would often point out Mr. Nunley, a man with white hair, at the old-fashioned ticket booth.
Nunley's also had a popular restaurant. You could get tasty cheeseburgers, hot dogs, and pizza. They served fountain soda and soft-serve ice cream with sprinkles. Their French fries were a favorite, often covered in ketchup.
The park was also a cool spot for arcade games in the 1980s. It had all the newest games, plus classic ones from earlier times. There was an old fortune teller machine, like the one in the movie Big with Tom Hanks. You could also play pinball and skee ball.
In 1995, after 56 years of fun, the owners of Nunley's closed the park. They retired and sold the land. A car parts store, Pep Boys, was built where the park used to be.
Nunley's Carousel's New Life
When Nunley's closed in 1995, Nassau County stepped in to save the carousel. They bought it to make sure its pieces wouldn't be sold separately. The county paid $854,400 for it.
People realized the carousel was a very important piece of history. Gary Monti, who takes care of the carousel now, said that carousels like this were once just seen as kiddie rides. But by the 1970s, people started to see them as beautiful works of folk art.
After buying it, Nassau County stored the carousel in a hangar at Mitchel Field. This was next to the Cradle of Aviation Museum. For almost 10 years, the carousel was mostly forgotten. It gathered dust, and its hand-carved horses had chipped and cracked paint. Some of the old paintings on the carousel panels were hard to recognize. The horsehair tails on many horses were shredded or replaced with pieces of shag rug.
Restoring the Carousel
Even though it was neglected, many people still loved the carousel. Long Island musician Billy Joel even wrote a song called "Waltz #1 (Nunley's Carousel)" in 2001. It was a tribute to the carousel he rode as a child. This song was featured in his Broadway musical Movin' Out. Billy Joel tried to have the carousel moved to a park in Oyster Bay, but it didn't happen.
In August 2007, two trucks from Carousel Works in Ohio arrived. This company is the biggest maker of wooden merry-go-rounds in the world. They took parts of the carousel to their main office in Ohio for restoration. In the fall of 2008, the restored carousel came back. It was put back together on a new plaza between the Cradle of Aviation Museum and the Long Island Children's Museum.
Now, the carousel plays a special soundtrack. Billy Joel allowed his song "Waltz No. 1, Op. 2," which is about Nunley's Carousel, to be played on the carousel organ. His keyboard player, David Rosenthal, recorded the song to sound like a carousel organ.
The restoration cost a lot of money. $420,000 came from Nassau County funds. More money was raised by "Pennies for Ponies," a group started by Rachel Obergh, who was 11 years old at the time. Many of the carousel animals were "adopted" for $2,000 each by schools, a hardware store, the Lercari family (who owned Nunley's), and Nassau County Executive Thomas Suozzi. The county also set aside $1 million for a new building to protect the carousel.
On March 15, 2009, the carousel was finally reopened. It looked beautiful, just like it used to. Its new home is the Cradle of Aviation Museum on Museum Row, near the Nassau Coliseum. Rides on the carousel started on Saturday, May 2, 2009.
Nunley's Carousel Today
Today, Nunley's Carousel is a wonderful sight at Museum Row in Garden City. It has many painted wooden panels, 41 horses, and two chariots where you can sit. There's also a lion that doesn't move. The carousel still has its original Wurlitzer calliope, which plays music.
It also has a special brass ring machine. This wooden arm holds silver and brass rings. As you ride by, you can reach out and try to grab one. If you grab a brass ring, you win a free ride on the carousel!
Nunley's Carousel is very rare. Only three of the 17 carousels built by Stein & Goldstein are still complete today. The other two are the Michael Friedsam Memorial Carousel in Central Park, New York City, and the Bushnell Park Carousel in Hartford, Connecticut.
In 2019, a mural of Nunley's Carousel was created by artist Michael White. It was unveiled at the Cradle of Aviation Museum and then installed at the Baldwin station of the Long Island Rail Road.
Nunley's Ferris Wheel
The original Ferris wheel from Nunley's is now in Barnum Island, New York. You can see the Ferris wheel there, but it doesn't run anymore.
A sign near the Ferris wheel says:
Nunley's Ferris Wheel Originally Located on the Freeport/Baldwin Border, Brought Great Pleasure to Long Island Families for Generations. It has Now Been Relocated here at Barnum Island.
Other Nunley's Rides
After Nunley's park closed in 1995, its other rides and games were sold at an auction. Now, they are scattered all over the country.
