The Antique Carousel Turns 100

For those of you who have been to the park before, you have definitely seen the Antique Carousel. It is the first ride as you enter the front gate. 2021 is a big year for the Antique Carousel, as it celebrates its 100th anniversary. It is the second oldest ride at the park, next to The Whip. Built in 1921, this Dentzel Carousel Company carousel has been around the nation and has found a home here. 

The carousel was manufactured by William H. Dentzel, and started operating in 1921 at its original site of Northern Illinois Fair Association (NIFA), Illinois. It traveled around with this fair and other carnivals for half a century. In 1971, Cedar Point purchased the carousel, and it was placed in the park’s Frontier Town. It was given a new structure and opened for guests to ride in the spring of 1972. 23 years later the carousel was moved from Cedar Point to Dorney Park, where it still stands today. Dorney Park gave it a new building and opened for riders in the spring of 1995. 

The ride reaches a tame 8.2 MPH, which makes it the perfect ride for anyone in the family. It also plays beautiful music from its 153 Wurlitzer Organ. The Antique Carousel houses 66 animals and 2 chariots. 62 of them are horses while the other 4 are menagerie animals -a giraffe, lion, tiger, and elk. Do you have a favorite animal that you have to ride on each time? Everything on the carousel has such beautiful and complex details carved into it. It’s as if the animals have a story to tell through their intricacies. Let your imagination run free and create a story of your own. 

This carousel has a legend that came with it when we received it from Cedar Point. The original horses were carved by a man named, Daniel Muller. His wife became particularly enthralled by one specific horse, the military themed horse which we call today ‘Muller's Military Horse’. After years of the carousel being on the road with traveling carnivals, it got a permanent spot at Cedar Point’s Frontier Town. The legend is, that she followed the carousel- and the horse – to Cedar Point after her death. At night, after the park was closed, the lights, music, and ride would all turn on and Mrs. Muller would be seen riding her beloved horse. The Muller Military horse is no longer with the carousel – it is missing, it’s the only element that never made it to Dorney Park. Although the horse is not at our park, some people still have haunted encounters. On certain nights, after the carousel has offered its last ride, and ride is closed for the night – some of our associates have seen the lights turn on and/or heard the Wurlitzer Organ play its music. 

Don’t let the legend spook you too much. The Antique Carousel is a family-friendly ride that will allow anyone to feel like a kid again. You can celebrate the anniversary with special merchandise such as t-shirts, travel mugs, and historic postcards. There is even a Dorney Park history book that includes the carousel’s history within it. Everyone should commemorate this momentous occasion by riding the carousel when you come to visit. It is conveniently placed at the front of the park, so it can easily be your first ride of the day or last ride of the evening. Either way, make sure you visit the park so you can ride it for its 100th year!