How To Ride The Historic Balboa Park Carousel For Free

SAN DIEGO, CA — San Diegans can ride a piece of history for free this National Carousel Day.

In celebration of the occasion on July 25, carousel rides will be free all day on the 115-year-old Dorothea Laub Balboa Park Carousel.

"When I started working at the carousel in 1972, most people just thought of the carousel as a fun ride," longtime manager Bill Brown told Patch. "But now, after 115 years, people also appreciate the history and craftsmanship behind the carousel."

Located adjacent to the San Diego Zoo, the Dorothea Laub Balboa Park Carousel is an original menagerie carousel built in 1910 by Herschell-Spillman in North Tonawanda, New York.

After being built in New York, the carousel was first shipped to Los Angeles and then moved in 1915 to Tent City, a summer resort in Coronado, according to the Balboa Park website. The carousel was moved to Balboa Park in 1922, first near the Fleet Science Center. The ride was relocated to its current location in 1968.

The carousel still has all its original wooden animals, a military band organ that plays music from the early 1900s, and a rare brass ring game that allows riders on the outer ring to try their luck at grabbing the brass ring to win a free ride.

Brown and his team are diligently working to restore the carousel's 52 animals to preserve the historic gem for future generations.

"The Dorothea Laub Balboa Park Carousel is one of only a few carousels over 100 years old that still have all of their original elements," Brown said. "The animals, paintings, organ, and even most of the machinery are original to this 1910 carousel. The Balboa Park Carousel is also one of only about a dozen carousels left in the country that still plays the exciting brass ring game."

The carousel will be open for free rides from 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on July 25.

In addition to free rides for all, the celebration will also feature a lineup of entertainment by Young Lions Jazz Conservatory, Kathryn the Grape, Opera 4 Kids, Mariachis, and Baile Folklorico dancers.

The free community event aims to recognize the carousel's rich history and what it means to San Diego, including the team that has cared for the iconic ride for decades.

"Seeing the smiling faces of small children taking their first ride and adults reliving their childhood — it's a fantastic job," Brown said.