 | |
| Formerly | G.A. Dentzel, Steam and Horsepower Caroussel Builder |
|---|---|
| Industry | Carousel Builder |
| Founded | 1867 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States |
| Founder | Gustav Dentzel |
| Defunct | 1928 |
| Successor | Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters |
| Headquarters | Philadelphia , United States |
Key people | Gustav Dentzel, William Dentzel |
| Products | Carousels |
The G.A. Dentzel Company was an American builder of carousels in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Its founder, Gustav Dentzel, had immigrated to the United States in 1860, from Germany. Having carved carousels for his father before immigrating he opened a cabinet making shop on Germantown Ave. in Philadelphia. He soon tired of the cabinet making business and decided to try his hand at building a small portable carousel that he could travel with around the country. After finding that people had a great enthusiasm for his carousel he decided to go into the carousel building business full-time in 1867, hiring other woodworkers who had also emigrated from Europe. [1] [2] [3]
His son William took over the business after Gustav's death in 1909, and continued making carousels until 1928, with employees such as master-carvers Salvatore "Cherni" Cernigliaro and Daniel Muller. After William's death, Muller went on to form his own carousel company, while the Dentzel equipment and remaining stock were sold to the Philadelphia Toboggan Company. [1] [4] [5]
In mid-2017, an estimate indicated that there may be 150 of the Dentzel units in existence. At that time, a model from 1907, with 52 hand-carved animals, was sold by Centreville Amusement Park in Toronto, Ontario, to the city of Carmel, Indiana. The selling price was an estimated CAD $3 million, approximately US $2.25 million. [6] The ride will open in 2018 or 2019 as part of a multi-year downtown redevelopment project. [7] ***PLEASE NOTE - the sale referenced above did not happen and the Denzel Carrousel is still operating at the Centreville Amusement Park in Toronto, Canada. [8]
| Ride Name | Year Built | Location | City | Figures | History |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| King Arthur Carrousel | 1922 | Disneyland | Anaheim, California | 68 Jumpers, 1 Chariot | Sunnyside Park (1922-1954) |
| Merry-Go-Round | 1912 | Knott's Berry Farm | Buena Park, California | 18 Jumpers, 10 Standing, 24 Menagerie, 2 Chariots | Hersheypark (1912-1936) Brady Park (1936-1955) |
| Merry-Go-Round | 1907 | Castle Park | Riverside, California | 18 Jumpers, 12 Standing, 20 Menagerie, 2 Chariot | Hersheypark (1907-????) Knott's Berry Farm (1950s-1984) |
| Dentzel Carousel | 1921 | San Francisco Zoo | San Francisco, California | 24 Jumpers, 12 Standing, 16 Menagerie, 2 Chariot | Pacific City Amusement Park (1921-1925) |
| Broad Ripple Park Carousel | 1917 | The Children's Museum of Indianapolis | Indianapolis, Indiana | 17 Jumpers, 14 Standing, 11 Menagerie, 2 Chariot | Broad Ripple Park (1917-1956) Parks Department Indianapolis (1956-1969) |
| Spencer Park Dentzel Carousel | 1902 | Riverside Park | Logansport, Indiana | 32 Standing, 11 Menagerie, 3 Chariot | Robison Park (1902-1919) Spencer Park (1919-1962) |
| Carousel at Glen Echo Park | 1921 | Glen Echo Park | Glen Echo, Maryland | 28 Jumpers, 12 Standing, 12 Menagerie, 2 Chariot | |
| Chesapeake Carousel | 1905 | Watkins Regional Park | Upper Marlboro, Maryland | 15 Jumpers, 16 Standing, 13 Menagerie, 2 Chariot | Chesapeake Beach (1905-1972) |
| Highland Park Dentzel Carousel | 1904 | Highland Park | Meridian, Mississippi | 20 Standing, 8 Menagerie, 2 Chariot | Louisiana Purchase Exposition (1904) |
| St. Louis Carousel | 1921 | Faust County Park | Chesterfield, Missouri | 46 Jumpers, 16 Standing, 4 Menagerie, 2 Chariot | Forest Park Highlands (1929-1963) Storage (1963-1965) Sylvan Springs Park (1965-1980) Storage (1980-1987) |
| Antique Carousel | 1898 | Canobie Lake Park | Salem, New Hampshire | 24 Jumpers, 19 Standing, 3 Menagerie, 2 Chariot | |
| Dr. Floyd L. Moreland Carousel | 1910 | Seaside Heights | Seaside Heights, New Jersey | 35 Jumpers, 18 Standing, 5 Menagerie, 2 Chariot | Island Beach Park (1910-1928) Casino Pier (1932-2015) |
| Carousel | 1905 | Ontario Beach Park | Rochester, New York | 22 Jumpers, 11 Standing, 19 Menagerie, 2 Chariot | |
| Menagerie Carousel | 1905 | Burlington City Park | Burlington, North Carolina | 16 Jumpers, 10 Standing, 20 Menagerie, 2 Chariot | Locust Point (????-1924) Forest Park (1924-1948) |
| Pullen Park Carousel | 1912 | Pullen Park | Raleigh, North Carolina | 19 Jumpers, 10 Standing, 23 Menagerie, 2 Chariot | Bloomsbury Park (1912-1915) |
| Kiddy Kingdom Carousel | 1925 | Cedar Point | Sandusky, Ohio | 27 Jumpers, 14 Standing, 11 Menagerie, 2 Chariot | Hunting Park-Germantown (1936-1968) |
| Albany Carousel | 1909 | Albany Historic Carousel and Museum (Dentzel mechanism only) | Albany, Oregon | 32 Jumpers, 16 Standing 2 Chariot | Downtown Albany (2017) |
| Antique Carousel | 1921 | Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom | Allentown, Pennsylvania | 50 Jumpers, 12 Standing, 4 Menagerie, 2 Chariot | Exposition Park (1921-1941) Lake Lansing Amusement Center (Pine Lake) (1941-1971) |
| Stoner Carousel | 1924 | Stoner Carousel Association | Lancaster, Pennsylvania | 25 Jumpers, 8 Standing, 15 Menagerie, 2 Chariot | Rocky Springs Park (1901-1923) Rocky Springs Park (1924-1983) Lake Lansing Park (1983-1987) Dollywood (1990-1999) Storage (1999-present) |
| Weona Park Carousel | 1900 | Weona Park | Pen Argyl, Pennsylvania | 34 Standing, 10 Menagerie, 2 Chariot | Original location unknown (1900-1924) |
| Woodside Park Carousel | 1902 | Please Touch Museum | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | 24 Jumpers, 16 Standing, 12 Menagerie, 2 Chariot | Woodside Amusement Park (1902-1955) Rockaways' Playland (1956-1961) Storage (1961-1962) St. John Terrell's Music Circus (1963-1966) Storage (Smithsonian Institution) (1966-2005) Restoration (2005-2008) |
| Grand Carousel | 1926 | Kennywood Park | West Mifflin, Pennsylvania | 50 Jumpers, 14 Standing, 2 Menagerie, 4 Chariot | Commissioned by U.S. Government in 1926 for Philadelphia Sesquicentennial Celebration, but not finished in time and purchased by Kennywood. |
| Memphis Grand Carousel | 1909 | Children's Museum of Memphis | Memphis, Tennessee | 32 Jumpers, 16 Standing 2 Chariot | Forest Park Amusement Park (1909-1923) Mid-South Fairgrounds (1923-1974) Storage (1974-1976) Libertyland (1976-2005) Storage and restoration (2005-2017) |
| Silver Star Carousel | 1926 | Six Flags Over Texas | Arlington, Texas | 50 Jumpers, 16 Standing 2 Chariot | Rockaways' Playland (1926-1963) |
| Dentzel Carousel | 1923 | Fair Park | Dallas, Texas | 50 Jumpers, 16 Standing 2 Chariot | Carsonia Park (1923-1950) |
A carousel or carrousel, merry-go-round (international), roundabout, or hurdy-gurdy is a type of amusement ride consisting of a rotating circular platform with seats for riders. The "seats" are traditionally in the form of rows of wooden horses or other animals mounted on posts, many of which are moved up and down by gears to simulate galloping, to the accompaniment of looped circus music.
Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters (PTC) is one of the oldest existing roller coaster manufacturing companies in the world. Based in Hatfield, Pennsylvania, it was established in 1904 by Henry Auchey and Chester Albright under the name Philadelphia Toboggan Company. The company manufactured carousels, wooden roller coasters, toboggans and later, roller coaster trains.
Pullen Park is a 66.4-acre (0.27 km2) public park immediately west of downtown Raleigh, North Carolina. It is located on Ashe Avenue and is adjacent to the Main and Centennial campuses of North Carolina State University, covering an area between Western Boulevard and historic Hillsborough Street. Founded in 1887, Pullen Park is the oldest public park in North Carolina.
Columbia Carousel or Carousel Columbia are a pair of double-decker carousels at Six Flags Great America in Gurnee, Illinois and California's Great America in Santa Clara, California. Both parks were originally built by the Marriott hotel chain as sister properties but they were later sold off and are presently owned by Six Flags and Cedar Fair, respectively. To this date, Carousel Columbia is the world's tallest carousel.
King Arthur Carrousel is a carousel attraction located in Fantasyland at Disneyland in Anaheim, California. The carousel was built in 1922 and operated at Sunnyside Beach Park in Toronto, Ontario, until the park closed. The ride was relocated to Disneyland in 1954, where it was refurbished and modified by Arrow Development, and opened with the park on July 17, 1955.
The Ameri-Go-Round was the name given to two carousels, one at each of Marriot's Great America amusement parks, Six Flags Great America in Gurnee, Illinois and California's Great America in Santa Clara, California.
The Silver Star Carousel is a carousel located in the Star Mall area at Six Flags Over Texas. It opened at the park on April 20, 1963.
Bushkill Park is an amusement park located in Easton, Pennsylvania, generally geared toward younger audiences, although most of it is not currently open. The facility operated continuously from 1902 to 2004 and during the summer of 2006, and was then closed until January 2017, when the roller skating rink reopened. In 1933, Thomas Long (1885–1965) leased Bushkill Park, furnishing it with a hand carved carousel that he and his father had purchased. Long bought the park in 1939 and operated it for the rest of his life with his wife, Mabel "Mom" Long. After his death, Mabel operated it with Melvin Heavener until he died in 1986 and then alone until her own death in 1989. The first owner after 1989 was William Hogan and his partner, Neal Fehnel. Fehnel sold his share to Sammy Baurkot, who was already a co-owner; the date of the sale is May 2019. As of mid-2019, Sammy Baurkot completed his acquisition and is now the sole owner.
The Highland Park Dentzel Carousel and Shelter Building is a carousel and building in Highland Park in Meridian, Mississippi. Manufactured about 1896 for the 1904 St. Louis Exposition by the Dentzel Carousel Company of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the carousel was sold and shipped to Meridian. Highland Park Dentzel Carousel has been in operation since 1909 and was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1987. It is the only remaining two-row stationary Dentzel menagerie in the world.
The Holyoke Merry-Go-Round is a historic carousel in Holyoke, Massachusetts. Previously a ride in the city's now-defunct Mountain Park, it was purchased and restored by a volunteer fundraising campaign following the park's closure in 1987, and opened at a new building based its original pavilion in Holyoke Heritage State Park in 1993. The carousel is one of about 30 remaining carousels built by Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters.
The Pullen Park Carousel is a classic wood carousel at Pullen Park in Raleigh, North Carolina. Built in 1900, the carousel contains 52 hand-carved basswood animals, 2 chariots, 18 large gilded mirrors and canvas panels and a Wurlitzer #125 band organ made in 1924 by the Rudolph Wurlitzer Company of North Tonawanda, New York.
The Cass County Dentzel Carousel, formerly known as the Spencer Park Dentzel Carousel and also known as the Riverside Park Dentzel Carousel or Logansport Carousel, is a historic carousel in Riverside Park of Logansport, Indiana. Built by the Dentzel Carousel Company, probably by 1900, it is one of the company's oldest surviving menagerie-style carousels, with animals likely hand-carved by George Dentzel. It was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1987.
Broad Ripple Park Carousel is an antique carousel in The Children's Museum of Indianapolis. It was installed in 1917 at an amusement park near the White River in Indianapolis, Indiana, where it remained until the building housing it collapsed in 1956. The ride's mechanism was destroyed, but the animals were relatively unscathed and put into storage by the park's owners, the Indianapolis Department of Parks and Recreation. The animals were carved by the Dentzel Carousel Company some time before 1900 but were assembled by the William F. Mangels carousel company, which also supplied the engine powering the ride.
The Centreville Amusement Park is a children's amusement park located on Centre Island, part of the Toronto Islands, offshore of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The park has been operated by the Beasley family since 1967, currently through Etobicoke-based William Beasley Enterprises Limited, on land leased from the City of Toronto government and is open daily during the summer. Beasley also operates the "Far Enough Farm" adjacent to the park.
The Forest Park Carousel is a historic carousel at Forest Park in Queens, New York City. The carousel, one of two known surviving carousels built by Daniel Carl Muller, was built c. 1903 and contains 52 figures and its original band organ. Originally located in Dracut, Massachusetts, the carousel was relocated to Forest Park in 1972, replacing an earlier carousel on the site. The ride, operated by NY Carousel since 2012, is part of a seasonal amusement center called Forest Park Carousel Amusement Village. The Forest Park Carousel was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2004 and has been a New York City designated landmark since 2013.
Woodside Amusement Park was an amusement park that existed inside West Fairmount Park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, that was constructed in 1897 by the Fairmount Park Transportation Company (FPT), and that continued operations until 1955. One of the coasters was transferred to the Million Dollar Pier as "The Skooter" in Atlantic City, New Jersey at the park's demise. Other famous rides "... included the famous Hummer roller coaster, the Whip, and the Wild Cat." The FPT's trolley line ran for around 10 miles around the park that also included parts of West Philadelphia and Strawberry Mansion. Also in the park was a third-mile wooden cycling track, which was used by Major Taylor to break many world records in 1898.
Menagerie Carousel, also known as the Burlington Carousel, is a historic carousel located at Burlington, Alamance County, North Carolina. It was built in 1905, and is a hand-carved, wooden carousel manufactured by the Dentzel Carousel Company of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The carousel features 46 animals include one lion, one tiger, one giraffe, one reindeer, four pigs, four rabbits, four ostriches, four cats and 26 horses. The carousel also has two chariots. Housing the carousel is a permanent shelter built in the summer of 1948.
Gustav Dentzel was a German immigrant who built some of the earliest carousels in the United States.
Lourinda Bray is an American restoration artist and historian with a specialty in carousel animals. She is also the owner of Running Horse Studios, a 7,000-square-foot carousel animal restoration warehouse. Her collection exceeds 400 and spans animals created throughout America, Mexico, and Europe from the mid-19th century to the present day. In addition to carousel figures, she has collected and restored other parts of carousels such as decorative mirrors, placards, base boards, and benches. Her collection also includes carousel-themed toys, postcards, and miniatures. The collection is sourced from numerous carousel carvers from the Golden Age of carousels such as Herschell-Spillman, Charles Carmel, Charles Looff, E. Joy Morris, M.C. Illions & Sons Carousell Works, Philadelphia Toboggan Company, Dentzel Carousel Company, C.W. Parker Amusement Company, W.P. Wilcox, Josef Hübner, D.C. Muller Brothers, J.R. Anderson, Stein & Goldstein, Charles W. Dare, Orton Sons & Spooner, Daniel C. Muller & Bro, Bayol Carousel Company, Limonaire Frères, Carl Müller, and Daniel Hegereda.
