452 Flatbush Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11225
https://www.prospectpark.org/visit-the-park/places-to-go/carousel
Borough: Brooklyn
Neighborhood: Crown Heights/Prospect Lefferts Garden border
Current fee structure: $3/ticket, $13.00 for a book of 5 tickets
Policies: Children under 2 ride free with an accompanying adult. Adults must accompany children under 42″ tall. No adults on the up-and-down horses. The last ride is 15 minutes before closing (and they mean it!).
Nearby attractions: Prospect Park Zoo, Lefferts Historic House, Botanic Garden, Zucker Natural Exploration Area
Closest bathroom: 0.2 miles away in the Zoo (requires admission fee). Next closest is the public bathroom 0.5 miles away near the Lincoln Playground.
Open year round: No, closed for the winter.
Fun Fact: The Prospect Park carousel is another example of a carousel that started its life in Coney Island, and formerly known as the Nunley-Murphy carousel. When it was purchased by the McCullough family in the 1950s it was dismantled to add a fourth row cobbled together with imaginative pieces from a menargie carousel of unknown origin, possibly from upstate New York or the Poconos and seemed to be carved by a mysterious “Henry Paul”. Although we enjoy the famous lion figure on the carousel today, there were once other incredible creatures such as a tiger, ostrich, kangaroo that were sold privately and never graced the Prospect Park carousel.
Source:
Donohue, Emmy. “History of the Prospect Park, New York Nunley-Murphy carousel.” Carousel News & Trader Magazine 6, no. 10 (October 1990): 22-27. https://carouselhistory.com/issue-no-10-vol-6-october-1990/
Video: Treasures of New York: Prospect Park Carousel (PBS)
The lush surroundings of Prospect Park add to the splendor of the Prospect Park Carousel! A classic carousel with vintage horses (and a lion!) with an old-timey Wurlitzer organ playing hits like Abba’s “Dancing Queen”. It’s a delightful ride and wait times are not too long- but the carousel is a bit out of the way and may be a chore for some to get to. That being said, I can make my toddler walk much farther than they think they can with the promise of the carousel! Once we start to hear the organ music we’re practically running to the gate!
