This annual celebration of the fairground industry was started in 2021 by “six lady showmen” to raise awareness of the crucial role played by showmen in popular culture and community entertainment. People are encouraged to support local fairs that struggled during COVID-related restrictions and lockdowns.

The first American carousel with hand-carved wooden animals was made by Gustav Dentzel who immigrated to Philadelphia from Germany in 1864. As well as horses, he included many other menagerie animals in his rides. The carousel he made for the St. Louis Exhibition in 1904 can still be enjoyed today in Highland Park, Missouri. Gustav’s son, William, carried on his business and became known as “Hobby Horse” Bill for his elegant gallopers. During the Golden Age of Carousels at the turn of the last century, more than 2,000 hand-carved and hand-painted merry-go-rounds were spinning around the United States.

The museum’s popular carousel horse was acquired thanks to Dr. Pat Sager Lane, who commissioned it in 2000. The galloper starred in our Carnival & Cabaret exhibition for several years before carefully being moved to Hollywood. He is patiently awaiting new friends. In the meantime, you can read about carnivals, carousels and “all the fun of the fair” in the WMODA collections.

Read more about the history of carousel horses

Carousel & Carnival | Wiener Museum