The Best Carousels for Kids in NYC, Long Island, Westchester, and Rockland
There’s no better way to celebrate childhood than to go for a ride on a carousel in NYC. Outdoor carousels represent the epitome of fun, whether it’s at an amusement park, county fair, park, or zoo.
There are many indoor carousels in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, Long Island, Westchester County, and Rockland County for child-friendly fun year-round as well.
Here, you’ll find details on each carousel in and near New York City, including its location, hours, price per ride, and a description. As always, please call to confirm the carousel is open before leaving the house to avoid disappointment.
Click on your region to jump to carousels near you!
- Manhattan
- Brooklyn
- Queens
- Bronx
- Staten Island
- Long Island
- Westchester
- Bergen County
- Fairfield County
Carousels in Manhattan
Friedsam Memorial Carousel (The Central Park Carousel)
Central Park (mid-park at 65th Street)
212-452-0707
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Hours: Daily, 10am-6pm (Hours are weather permitting.)
Price: $4 per ride
Located in the heart of Central Park, this handcrafted carousel’s 57 horses run laps to vintage organ music. Note: Especially in the summer, there is often a long line to ride.
SeaGlass Carousel
Battery Park (entrance at State and Water streets), Lower Manhattan
(212) 344-3491
Hours: daily, 11am-8:30pm
Price: $6
This aquatic-themed carousel is made entirely of glass and steel and features 30 sea creatures under color-changing LED lights, making you feel like you are in an underwater garden.
Le Carrousel
Bryant Park, West 40th Street between Fifth and Sixth avenues, Midtown
(212) 768-4242
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Hours: March-May: daily, 11am-7pm; June-August: daily, 10am-8pm; September-December, daily, 11am-8pm (hours are weather permitting)
Price: $4 per ride; $30 for a 10-ride discount card
Hear the sounds of Paris and the French Cabaret as you ride one of the 14 prancing animals, including 10 horses, a deer, a rabbit, a frog, and a cat. This carousel, specially designed to complement the park’s French classical style, was created by artists at Fabricon Carousel Company that was based in Brooklyn.
Pier 62 Carousel
Hudson River Park, Pier 62, between West 22nd and 23rd streets, Chelsea
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Hours: hours vary, see website for details
Price: $4.50 per ride; free for parents assisting children shorter than 42 inches.
Ride on animals ranging from unicorns to raccoons, or pretend to be King Trident as you ride the oyster chariot. This carousel can accommodate children in wheelchairs. Restrooms located at Pier 61, Chelsea Piers.
Totally Kid Carousel
Riverbank State Park, 679 Riverside Drive at 145th Street, Upper Manhattan
(212) 694-3600
Hours: May-September, see website for hours
Price: $1 kid, $2 Adult per ride
This funky carousel, opened in 1997, was designed using children’s drawings of animals.
Carousels in Brooklyn
B&B Carousell
1615 Riegelmann Boardwalk (in Luna Park), Coney Island
(718) 373-5862
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Hours: Friday, 12 to 10 pm; Saturday and Sunday, 11 am to 10 pm
Price: 4 credits
This historic carousel, built in 1906, features 50 wooden horses, has been completely restored and moved to the Steeplechase Plaza. See the website or call for updates.
Jane’s Carousel
Brooklyn Bridge Park at the East River, Dumbo
(718) 222-2502
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Hours: weekdays (closed Tuesdays), 11 am to 6:50 pm; weekends, 10 am to 6:50 pm
Price: $3 per ride
Named after artist and Dumbo resident Jane Walentas, the 1922 structure was refurbished and reopened in 2011. There are 1,200 lights and the carousel is settled into a pavilion designed by award-winning architect Jean Nouvel.
Carousels in Queens
Flushing Meadows Carousel
Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, Fantasy Forest Amusement Park, 111th Street at 55th Avenue, Flushing
(718) 788-2676
Hours: Wednesday and Thursday, 12 to 5:30 pm; Friday through Sunday, 11 am to 6 pm
Price: 1 ticket, $4.50
Moved to Queens from Coney Island for the 1964 World’s Fair, this classic carousel is located next to the Queens Zoo and about a 2-minute walk from the New York Hall of Science.
Forest Park Carousel
Northwest Entrance (Woodhaven Boulevard and Forest Park Drive), Forest Park
(718) 788-2676
Hours: June: Thursday and Friday, 12 to 5:30 pm; Saturday, 11 am to 6 pm; 11 am to 5 pm; July: Thursday, 12 to 5:30 pm; Friday through Sunday, 11 am to 6 pm; August and September: Thursday, 12 to 5:30 pm; Friday through Sunday, 11 am to 6 pm
Price: 1 ticket, $4.50
Created in 1890, this carousel is the only carousel that is also a designated New York City landmark. Take a spin on one of the 49 horses or ride in a chariot as you listen to vintage organ music.
Carousels in the Bronx
Bug Carousel
Bronx Zoo, 2300 Southern Blvd. (at Fordham Road)
(718) 220-5100
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Hours: Open year round, but hours change seasonally. Check for up to date hours
Price: $7 per ride plus general zoo admission. Free general admission for all on Wednesdays.
This carousel is composed entirely of bugs and butterflies and is located next to the Butterfly Garden, where you can see live butterflies in flight and flowers in bloom. This carousel is accessible to manual wheelchairs.
Carousels on Staten Island
Carousel for All Children
Willowbrook Park, Eton Place at Richmond Avenue
(718) 677-2165
Hours: 11am-5:45pm; Saturdays and Sundays in May, Friday through Sunday in June, and Thursday through Sunday in July and August
Price: $3.00 per person
Choose your steed from the 51 hand-carved and colorfully painted animals that adorn this Victorian-style wooden merry-go-round, located next to the duck pond. The carousel is accessible for those with physical challenges.
Carousels on Long Island
Greenport Antique Carousel
Jess Owen Carousel House, Mitchell Park, Greenport
(631) 477-0248
Price: $3.00 per person
Greenport’s carousel sits in a lovely glass house with a view of the water. It is 100 years old and features hand-painted horses.
Merry-Go-Round at Adventureland
2245 Broad Hollow Road (Route 110), Farmingdale
(631) 694-6868
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Hours: hours vary, check website for up to date information
Price: $39.50 ages 25 and older; $49.50 ages 2-24; free for children younger than 2; everyone entering the park is required to have their own paid admission ticket.
Opened in 1962, Adventureland offers rides, attractions, and games, including this low-key, round-a-bout ride that is great for young kids.
Carousels in Westchester County
Playland’s Grand Carousel and Kiddy Carousel
Exit 19 off I-95, Rye
(914) 813-7010
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Hours: Specific days and hours vary, check the website for a full schedule
Price: $39.99; $29.99 for children shorter than 48 inches; free for children younger than 2 and resident spectators (no rides). Westchester residents receive a $5 discount.
Playland’s Grand Carousel, constructed in 1915, features 66 horses with jewel-studded harnesses and three handicap-accessible chariots, all of which circle a rare Gavioli band organ. Riders must be at least 42 inches tall; kids shorter than 42 inches must ride with an adult.
Playland’s Grand Carousel was closed for renovations in 2019; it hasn’t been announced yet if it will be open for the 2021 season.
Little ones between 36 and 55 inches tall can choose to ride the Kiddy Carousel, one of many rides in the park’s Kiddyland section meant for the youngest set of thrill-seekers.
Carousels in Bergen County, NJ
Millennium Carousel at the Bergen County Zoo
Van Saun County Park, 216 Forest Ave., Paramus
(201) 364-3100
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Hours: Open Thursday-Sunday, 10am-4:30pm
Price: $2.00 per ride plus zoo admission. Tickets must be purchased at the zoo’s train station.
Watch animals all day at the zoo and then ride their likeness.
Carousels in Fairfield County, CT
Beardsley Zoo Carousel
1875 Noble Ave., Bridgeport
(203) 394-6565
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Hours: Daily, 9am-4pm
Price: Zoo admission: Adult, $16. Child (ages 3-11), $13. Senior (62+), $12. Under 3, free.
This carousel features colorful versions of the animals you visit at the zoo.
Danbury Fair Mall Carousel
7 Backus Ave., Danbury
(203) 207-0305
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Hours: Monday, 10 am to 7 pm; Tuesday through Saturday, 10 am to 9 pm; Sunday, 12 to 6 pm
Price: $3 per ride
Located in the food court on the mall’s upper level, this double-decker carousel features rows of wooden horses that move up and down to traditional carnival music. The mall is built on the former site of the Danbury Fair (last held in 1981), and the carousel is a replica of that fair’s carousel.
