State & Union: Beloved NY carousel restored, back in use

Dec 13, 2023

The restored New York State Museum carousel, about 100 years old, was owned by a Wellsville entertainment company and later was a popular attraction at Cuba Lake.

The New York State Museum's beloved antique carousel — an historic treasure that has a close connection to our region of the Southern Tier — reopened to the public this week in Albany after extensive repairs and upgrades.

Dozens of local elementary school students and their teachers joined state Education Commissioner Betty A. Rosa to celebrate the carousel's restoration and were treated to a reading of "Carousel" by Pat Cummings and an ice cream party.

The entire carousel, which is about 100 years old, was disassembled, new parts fabricated, and meticulous repairs made by some of the few remaining specialized craftsmen in the country, and then reassembled over the past three years. The carousel, accommodating up to 50 riders at a time, will be open to the public Tuesday through Sunday, between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m.

This full-sized carousel was made between 1912 and 1916 by the Herschell-Spillman Company of North Tonawanda, NY, and has been on display at the NYSM since 2001. This time-lapse documents the dedicated work of museum staff and historic carousel experts to preserve this valuable piece of state history. Repairs, maintenance, and upgrades included repairs to the center pole bearings, installation of new hardware to replace aging parts, and the replacement of over 700 incandescent light bulbs with new, energy-efficient LED bulbs.

The carousel was operated by Sadel Brother's Amusement Co. of Wellsville. Throughout the summer months, the carousel would be transported by train to local fairs in the Southern Tier and into Northern Pennsylvania, and then it would be stored for the winter. By 1933, it was the main attraction at Cuba Lake's Olivecrest Amusement Park, where it operated until 1972.

Purchased by the New York State Museum in March 1975 from Robert Hopkins of Cuba, the merry-go-round remained in storage at the museum's collections facility in Rotterdam until it was fully restored and installed in its current location in the newly constructed Terrace Gallery in 2001.

This archival photo shows the Herschell-Spillman carousel at Olcott Beach in Niagara County.

"The State Museum Carousel is truly a work of art," Rosa said. "Members of the museum staff have worked diligently alongside craftsmen with highly specialized skills to painstakingly bring the more than 100-year-old carousel back to life for our visitors.

"It is gratifying that this labor of love is complete, and I encourage everyone to experience first-hand the nostalgic magic of this treasured artifact," she said.

Museum staff searched far and wide to find the skilled craftsmen to work with the carousel's wooden animals and antique machinery, discovering that only a handful of experts remain in the nation who can conduct such restoration work. Some of this labor included adding center pole bearings, new hardware, installation of 758 energy-efficient LED bulbs, and other routine maintenance to return the carousel to its original allure.

Some of the work completed by museum personnel included research and development for plastics and engineering of new components; machining a new thrust washer for the center bearing; adding new safety cables, and hardware throughout the carousel; lighting, carpet, paint, sound system, and custom moldings to repair damaged benches; and rebuilding and repairing of the constant oiler, among many other efforts.

A timelapse video of these repairs in process may be found on the New York State Museum Carousel website.

As one of the Museum's most popular attractions, the carousel hosts thousands of riders each year. Located on the fourth floor of the museum, the treasured full-size, 48-foot diameter carousel boasts 36 horses, two donkeys, two deer, two chariots and a spinning tub. The animals featured on the carousel were carved around 1895 by Charles Dare of Brooklyn, a German immigrant and toymaker, and the carousel was built by the renowned Herschell-Spillman Company of North Tonawanda between 1912 and 1916.

This historic artifact is a treasured part of the New York State Museum's Collection. Much more information may be found on the Museum's carousel website.

Please help local businesses by taking an online survey to help us navigate through these unprecedented times. None of the responses will be shared or used for any other purpose except to better serve our community.The survey is at: www.pulsepoll.com$1,000 is being awarded. Everyone completing the survey will be able to enter a contest to Win as our way of saying, "Thank You" for your time.Thank You!

The Olean Times Herald mobile app brings you the latest local breaking news, updates, and more. Read the Olean Times Herald on your mobile device just as it appears in print.