Herschell Carrousel Factory Museum Admission Ticket
Description
Visit the Herschell Carrousel Factory Museum, located in the original Allan Herschell Company factory building. The museums exhibits feature a carving floor, paint shop, assembly roundhouse, and loading dock. Explore the various rooms within the 7-structure complex. Ride a hand-carved and restored 1916 carousel. The Wurlitzer Music exhibit and multiple operating band organs play the music that makes the carousel ride magical. A Children’s Gallery provides hands-on learning activites for the entire family. An outdoor Kiddieland allows children to test-ride four Allan Herschell rides from the 1940s to the 1960s (Summers only). Admission fee and two ride tokens included. Tours are self-guided by brochure or cell phone. Guided tours for 10 or more persons may be scheduled any time with advance notice.
Tour Options
Itinerary
The Herschell companies in North Tonawanda (located just 20 minutes from Niagara Falls, New York) produced over 3,000 hand-carved, wooden carousels. Many of their carousels were portable with simply carved horses, meant to be used by traveling carnivals. They were shipped all over the country. Today 71 of the 148 antique, hand-carved wooden carousels still in existence in the United States and Canada were made by Herschell. In the 1930s, the company started making small metal amusement rides for children and promoting a 'kiddieland' package to small businesses. During a visit, view exhibits, watch a wood carving demonstration, listen to the magical sounds of a band organ, view the music roll-making shop, ride a 1916, hand-carved carousel, ride four kiddie rides (in the summer), and shop in an extensive gift shop.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Wheelchair accessible
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Children must be accompanied by an adult
- The carrousel has a weight restriction of 200 pounds
- The kiddie rides have height restrictions that vary per ride
Reviews(18)
Nice carousel ride and a cute kiddie park that is a dream for small children. As adult couple no kids found it very nice and informative along with just being fun. Worth going to
If you are in Niagara Falls, traveling in the area, love history, or were ever a kid, then get off the beaten path and visit this place. It’s old and dusty but history will be brought to life and you’ll learn about the rides you ride as a kid.
This place is fantastic! So many of the carousels that are still in existence today were made HERE on site! The people who work are knowledgeable and passionate about carousels and its shows! My family, including three young adults, spent two hours here and we could easily have spent another. We enjoyed every aspect of this museum, including the outstanding carousel we rode; a room full of music and featuring a working player; the carving area where horses were made for decades; and an area with a children's carousel and family games. The gift shop was top notch, too! We really recommend this to anyone who wants to visit a unique and informative place.
My grandsons rode the rides in Kiddieland several times and loved them. It was enjoyable because the operator DANIELLE is exceptionally friendly and helpful. She is a true treasure as an employee and a person!
Great place to bring young kids. They have two carrousels that one can ride on, a kid size and regular size. The craft of the carrousel is magnificent. There is a museum and exhibits which show how parts of the carrousel work as a whole. There is also kiddy rides that are an add on which children can ride other carrousel type rides for 30 minutes. Highly recommend.
This carousel museum is off the beaten path, but a little gem. It was $12 per adult, not a senior, and that included two carousel rides. There were some exhibits that are self-touring, as well as historic horse making, and a whole section of people actually making the horses. There are two carousels, one in their kittyland, and the other in the large larger rotunda. What is really cool about the larger carousel is they have not only a chariot to sit in if you don’t want to get on the horses, and all of the carousel animals were horses, but there’s also something called a Love bucket. I believe it’s called. It’s like a sit and spin you get in this bucket that has a wheel in the middle and you can spin it as you’re spinning around on the carousel. It was so cool. We would totally return just to go on the carousel and sit in that Love bucket.
This really is a hidden gem and a national treasure. We visited with our three grandchildren and had a great time. The admission prices are reasonable and you can add $6 for your child to ride 4 beautifully restored kids rides from the 40's -60's (boat ride, helicopter ride, car ride, and horse drawn wagon ride) for 30 minutes. Your admission fee also gives you rides on two merry-go-round that are housed inside. Beautiful artwork throughout as well as wonderful examples of self playing organs and bands. Highly recommended for young and old alike.
An amazing museum of the history of the American Carrousel housed in the restored factory building where they were made. They provide an included audio tour and rides on a carrousel produced in the factory. They have displays on how the horses and other animals were carved and painted, on how carrousels were built and simple displays explaining the mechanisms. Also how the Wurlitzer company. A nearby firm known for its organs contributed to the music of the carrousel. Also the firm was a pioneer in kiddie rides of the 1940s and 1950s. They have four fully restored kiddie rides from that era. This was a spur of the moment decision to visit and it was one of high lights of our trip. It was well worth the under two hours we spent there. The staff was very welcoming and very knowledgeable. They clearly love what they do.
I attended the Victorian Tea at the Museum and it was fantastic! They thought about all the details when providing this 3-course tea. They also brought in a speaker who was engaging, dynamic and informative. Additionally we had the opportunity to poke around the museum. I will be back!
Oy, a museum for Merry-Go- Rounds?!? Thought this would be a pink, rainbows and cotton candy, polished play with horses on poles. Boy was I wrong. This is where they carved the horses expertly and with style. This is where they came up with the music that is really a wonder to behold and hear, pre 78's. And you learn about the evolution of the amusement park ride. Really done well like the workers just left for lunch. All the people we interacted with were fans and could tell stories and facts. Quirky and great.
