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Cafesjian's Carousel
St. Paul, MN |
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The Cafesjian's Carousel (PTC #33) was built in 1914. It is a 4 row carousel with 68 jumping horses and 2 chariots. Three of the horses were carved by Carmel and the rest by the Philadelphia Toboggan Company. There was a fire in 1939 and several of the horses were damaged. You can still see the charred surfaces under the paint on some of them (see the first two horses' legs in the second row of photos above).
Having spent its entire life in St. Paul, the carousel and band organ were completely restored and moved to Como Park in 1988. The carousel was restored again from 1993-2000. There is a Wurlitzer band organ that plays paper rolls. For more, see these websites:
1, 2, and 3.
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Americana Carousel
Bloomington, MN |
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The "Americana" Carousel at the Mall of America is a reproduction style carousel ("a hand-painted contemporary version of the classic American merry-go-round"). It features 34 figures and one chariot. Despite its lack of historic value, it is in great shape and wonderful in its garishness which will hopefully instill appreciation for carousels and ensure their preservation.
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Other MN Carousels:
LARK Toys Carousel: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 (Kellogg)
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