The Learning Zone!

Contact: 419/626-6111

E-Mail: director@merrygoroundmuseum.org

IT ALL BEGAN WITH A STAMP

Serving as Sandusky's Post Office from 1927 to 1987, the Museum building was used to celebrate the first day issue of the USPS carousel stamps in 1988. Estimates were that 500 might attend a gathering at the building, however more than 2,000 visitors came to see the museum unfold. Open in 1990 as The Merry-Go- Round Museum, more than 250,000 visitors since then have enjoyed a guided tour and a carousel ride.

The Puppet Show At The Museum

An original tale is performed in the puppet theater. A touching storying is told through the performance of the carousel puppeteers. Young children become enchanted with the puppet show and become excited about riding the real carousel and looking at the colorful displays in the museum.

This program is designed for preschoolers to 3rd graders to entertain and teach about carousels, their history, and the importance of museums. Offered to groups, please make reservations at least two weeks in advance.

Puppet Show Starts Spring/Summer At The Museum

Rubbing Stations

The Merry-Go-Round museum has rubbing stations set up for our young visitors to use. These stations depict various images from the museum that can be rubbed onto a piece of paper that can be taken home as a souvenir.

NEW - Rollercoaster Themed Game

Computer game featuring rollercoaster tycoon for the kids at the museum.

American carousels actually had their origin in 500 AD, inspired by Arabian culture. Spanish crusaders discovered contests on horseback with the goal to capture clay balls filled with perfume. The contests were called "carosella" or little wars. "Carousel" in French refers to sixteenth-century royal pageantry of "entertainment by knights." In this game, knights on highly decorated horses would try to spear gold rings. They would practice this undertaking by riding wooden horses suspended on beams supported by a center pole. The mechanism rotated often using one of two different sources of power, either humans or horses.

It is believed that European wood carvers crafted similar devices for amusement and profit by the late 1700s. Americans discovered the carousel in the late 1800s due to the success of these type of rides at resorts like Coney Island, New York.

From 1867 to 1928, thousands of wooden carousels were carved by hand. Horses and other animals, referred to as menagerie, waited patiently for children of all ages to climb aboard for an exciting spin. The period of 1885 to 1925 was the most prolific for the manufacture of carousels. Prior to the start of the golden age of the carousel Gustav Dentzel immigrated to Pennsylvania from Germany in 1860 and began the G.A. Dentzel Steam and Horsepower Carrousel Builder Shop just seven years later. Responsible for several innovations to the carousel, Dentzel experimented with double-decker carousels, band organ music, and the use of steam to power the machines. Dentzel's tools and several unfinished pieces from the shop are on permanent exhibit at the Merry-Go-Round Museum.

As the United States was dealing with the effects of the Great Depression and two World Wars, the laborers and materials used in the manufacture of carousels were diverted to other purposes. And later in the 1950s amusement parks fighting to stay open wanted bigger and faster thrill rides.





Contact: 419/626-6111	E-Mail: director@merrygoroundmuseum.org
IT ALL BEGAN WITH A STAMP Serving as Sandusky's Post Office from 1927 to 1987, the Museum building was used to celebrate the first day issue of the USPS carousel stamps in 1988. Estimates were that 500 might attend a gathering at the building, however more than 2,000 visitors came to see the museum unfold. Open in 1990 as The Merry-Go- Round Museum, more than 250,000 visitors since then have enjoyed a guided tour and a carousel ride. The Puppet Show At The Museum An original tale is performed in the puppet theater. A touching storying is told through the performance of the carousel puppeteers. Young children become enchanted with the puppet show and become excited about riding the real carousel and looking at the colorful displays in the museum. This program is designed for preschoolers to 3rd graders to entertain and teach about carousels, their history, and the importance of museums. Offered to groups, please make reservations at least two weeks in advance. Puppet Show Starts Spring/Summer At The Museum	Rubbing Stations The Merry-Go-Round museum has rubbing stations set up for our young visitors to use. These stations depict various images from the museum that can be rubbed onto a piece of paper that can be taken home as a souvenir. NEW - Rollercoaster Themed Game Computer game featuring rollercoaster tycoon for the kids at the museum.	American carousels actually had their origin in 500 AD, inspired by Arabian culture. Spanish crusaders discovered contests on horseback with the goal to capture clay balls filled with perfume. The contests were called "carosella" or little wars. "Carousel" in French refers to sixteenth-century royal pageantry of "entertainment by knights." In this game, knights on highly decorated horses would try to spear gold rings. They would practice this undertaking by riding wooden horses suspended on beams supported by a center pole. The mechanism rotated often using one of two different sources of power, either humans or horses. It is believed that European wood carvers crafted similar devices for amusement and profit by the late 1700s. Americans discovered the carousel in the late 1800s due to the success of these type of rides at resorts like Coney Island, New York. From 1867 to 1928, thousands of wooden carousels were carved by hand. Horses and other animals, referred to as menagerie, waited patiently for children of all ages to climb aboard for an exciting spin. The period of 1885 to 1925 was the most prolific for the manufacture of carousels. Prior to the start of the golden age of the carousel Gustav Dentzel immigrated to Pennsylvania from Germany in 1860 and began the G.A. Dentzel Steam and Horsepower Carrousel Builder Shop just seven years later. Responsible for several innovations to the carousel, Dentzel experimented with double-decker carousels, band organ music, and the use of steam to power the machines. Dentzel's tools and several unfinished pieces from the shop are on permanent exhibit at the Merry-Go-Round Museum. As the United States was dealing with the effects of the Great Depression and two World Wars, the laborers and materials used in the manufacture of carousels were diverted to other purposes. And later in the 1950s amusement parks fighting to stay open wanted bigger and faster thrill rides.