Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Puglia Italy - Matera
Italy • 8 days, 7 nights
Southern Italy: Castles, Caves & Coastal Treasures in Puglia
from
Turkmenistan Gates of Hell Darvaza crater
Turkmenistan • 10 days, 9 nights
Turkmenistan & the Gates of Hell
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
The Keelmen Mural
Conspiracies and monsters abound at Denver Airport.
‘Notre Denver’
Alai Minar
Order a flight of infused ya dong shots.
Tep Bar
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
Order a flight of infused ya dong shots.
Tep Bar
Thai-Chinese makes up Bangkok’s largest diaspora.
Nai Ek Roll Noodle
This fried chicken is one of Bangkok’s most famous.
Gai Tord Jae Kee
Chefs Aruss Lerlerstkull and Atcharaporn Kiatthanawat lean into regional traditions.
Charmgang
The khao soi at Gedhawa comes with a rich, coconutty broth.
Gedhawa
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Ripples in the land are remnants of the field walls that once held rows of native sugarcane and sweet potatoes.
Unearthing the Mysteries of Hawai'i's Ancient Agriculture
Petrified Forest National Park.
Beware the Legends Behind These National Park Souvenirs
For Aguilar-Carrasco, nature is a powerful reminder of the interconnectedness of all life.
How Can National Parks Be Made Accessible to All? AO Wants to Know.
Podcast: Finding ‘The Great Gatsby’ in Louisville

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United States California San Francisco Golden Gate Park Vintage Carousel

Golden Gate Park Vintage Carousel

This turn of the century masterpiece has a mysterious goaty interloper.

San Francisco, California

Added By
Tre
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
The mysterious Dentzel goat   Annetta Black/Atlas Obscura
The menagerie is beautifully detailed and in wonderful repair following restoration   Annetta Black/Atlas Obscura
The carousel house   Annetta Black/Atlas Obscura
The mysterious Dentzel goat in all its glory   Annetta Black/Atlas Obscura
Winter time   jyackabonis / Atlas Obscura User
Mark of the maker and carousel dealer on one of the interior panels   Avoiding Regret
Dentzel goat   Avoiding Regret
The circa 1889 carousel building and adjacent cafe   Avoiding Regret
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Golden Gate Park’s Koret Children’s Quarter has housed three beautiful carousels in their carousel house over the years, each eventually falling into disrepair. While there is now only one functional version left of the classic carnival ride, the last carousel standing is definitely a beauty.

The vintage carousel that currently sits in Golden Gate Park is one of only 100 of its kind still in operation. Built in 1912 in Buffalo, NY by the renowned carousel builders the Herschell-Spillman Company, it took a long, winding path through multiple west coast parks before becoming part of the Golden Gate International Exposition on Treasure Island in 1939. After the fair closed, a $14,000 donation from Herbert Fleishhacker, a local carousel enthusiast, brought it to Golden Gate Park in 1941. Originally powered by steam, it was retrofitted with an electric engine loaned to the park by PG&E.

By 1977, the sadly neglected carousel was showing signs of dry rot, rust, and severely worn surfaces, and was closed due to safety concerns. A massive fundraising effort and the skilled team lead by Ruby Newman brought it back to life, and it now stands beautifully restored, back in the business of delighting folks with dizzy rides on the animal of their choice.

At some point, and no one seem to know just when, a goat was added to the menagerie of 61 other beasts, seemingly originating from the rival Dentzel wooden carousel company. It remains one of the more popular members of the menagerie, which includes a camel, a dragon, two frogs and a stork as well as the more common fare of leaping or standing horses. 

Related Tags

Retro Tech

Community Contributors

Added By

Tre

Edited By

nadpete, hrnick, Annetta Black, Avoiding Regret...

  • nadpete
  • hrnick
  • Annetta Black
  • Avoiding Regret
  • jyackabonis
  • futurehemp

Published

July 25, 2011

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • http://www.rubynewman.com/RubyNewmanFA/CarrouselRestorationHistoryGGPC.html
  • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allan_Herschell_Company
  • http://nationalcarousel.org/census/census-CLA.html
  • Christopher Pollock; “San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park - A Thousand Acres of Stories” 2001, West Winds Press
Golden Gate Park Vintage Carousel
320 Bowling Green Dr
Golden Gate Park
San Francisco, California, 94122
United States
37.767904, -122.458023
Visit Website
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Golden Gate Park Lawn Bowling Club

San Francisco, California

miles away

Janis Joplin Tree

San Francisco, California

miles away

Golden Gate Park Nursery

San Francisco, California

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of San Francisco

San Francisco

California

Places 213
Stories 50

Nearby Places

Golden Gate Park Lawn Bowling Club

San Francisco, California

miles away

Janis Joplin Tree

San Francisco, California

miles away

Golden Gate Park Nursery

San Francisco, California

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of San Francisco

San Francisco

California

Places 213
Stories 50

Related Places

  • Play vintage pinball machines and video arcade games at the Appalachian Pinball Museum.

    Hendersonville, North Carolina

    Appalachian Pinball Museum

    This hands-on museum houses roughly 80 vintage pinball machines and arcade games.

    Sponsored by Henderson County Tourism Development Authority
  • Vienna, Austria

    Computer und Gaming Museum Wien

    Housed in a former air raid shelter, this museum is dedicated to the history of computing and video games.

  • Krakow, Poland

    Muzeum Gier Wideo (Krakow Arcade Museum)

    Where visitors can play more than 150 retro arcade games.

  • A recent MAL experiment.

    Boulder, Colorado

    Media Archaeology Lab

    A research lab and hands-on museum where visitors can experiment with retro technology.

  • Kiosks on display.

    Stoke Heath, England

    National Telephone Kiosk Collection

    An ode to the classic piece of British street furniture.

  • The nursery showcases metal toys and shares information about the Baby Boom years inside the 1950s All-Electric House.

    Overland Park, Kansas

    1950s All-Electric House

    Step back in time at this 1950s display home, built to showcase once cutting-edge electric amenities.

  • Add-A-Ball Arcade’s basement location.

    Seattle, Washington

    Add-a-Ball Bar and Arcade

    A (slightly) grownup take on the classic retro arcade.

  • Robots mid-repair.

    Coraopolis, Pennsylvania

    Fraley's Robot Repair

    A retrofuturistic art installation in the Pittsburgh Airport.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.