New England Carousel Museum

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Striped Header Image reading "New England Carousel Museum Greek Museum & Fire Museum"

A few weeks ago, I visited the New England Carousel Museum in Bristol, CT. This delightful member of the New England Museum Association (NEMA) is among the largest permanent collections of carousel animals in the country. The museum explained the history of carousels, demonstrated how carousels animals were constructed, and highlighted modern carousel creators. As a bonus, the museum had a working carousel inside the building.

A red brick factory building with several windows. The sign above the door reads "The New England Carousel Museum" Brown and white carousel horse Palomino Carousel Horse Two Carousel Horse, one white and one brown Golden Carousel Horse A sign with the title "The Evolution of the Carousel" Brown Carousel Horse A Tricycle with a brown horse head and a black saddle reading "Drink Moxie" after a soft drink brand An ornate sign reading "The Carousel Museum Entrance" A palomino carousel horse with a green saddle An old-fashioned wooden ticket booth with a pink sign reading "The Carousel Museum of New England"

The museum was in a former factory, so navigation of the building was a little tricky. The first floor of the museum contains a ticket booth and a gift shop carrying a range of carousel memorabilia, including ornaments, CDs, and postcards. To the right of the entrance was a long, narrow hall explaining the early history of the carousel, along with describing the three styles of carousel horses carved in America:

Philadelphia Style: Described by the National Carousel Association as “a more natural and realistic depiction of horses and menagerie animals”. The Philadelphia Carousel Company, now called the Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters, was an important manufacturer in this style.

Coney Island Style: “flamboyant”, with many colors, jewels, and mirrors to reflect the light. Charles Looff invented this style, beginning in Coney Island, New York and later moving to Providence, Rhode Island.

Country Fair Style: Plainer, as these carousels were transported around the countryside from fair to fair. Many of these companies were located in North Tonawanda, New York.

A brown, wooden carousel lion A bay carousel horse against a purple wall A carousel donkey with very long ears A gray carousel horse with pink roses on the saddle A carousel buck (male deer) with a colorful saddle A gray carousel horse with a brown saddle

The main hall on the first floor was filled with carousel animals divided into five or six sections. Binders described the origin and style of individual animals in each section. Signage around the exhibit floor encouraged visitors to ask questions about the exhibit, with the option of receiving a QUEST packet (Questions for Understanding, Exploring, Seeing, and Thinking) at the main desk. According to the signage, “QUEST questions were developed by Project MUSE as part of Harvard’s Project Zero.” Another sign acknowledge that the museum’s educational programs are partially sponsored by the Greater Hartford Arts Council. I’m impressed by the level of thought that goes into the museum’s programs, along with the well-known academic and humanities associations involved.

A wide view of the many carousel animals in the main hall A sign reading "The New England Carousel Museum education programs are supported, in part, by a grant from the Greater Hartford Arts Council." A sign describing the questions packet available at the front desk A white carousel donkey with a bobble head A carousel tiger with a red saddle A white carousel horse with a light brown saddle and blue blanket The face of a brown, wooden carousel lion A white carousel horse standing in the middle of a model workshop A dark gray carousel horseA black carousel horse with white socks and a white tail. The horse wears a pear of brown saddles over a yellow and red blanket.

Around the corner from the large hall, tucked behind the museum office, is The Freels Collection, donated by Larry Freels upon his passing in 2020. After 40 years of collecting more than 175 carousel animals, the Freels collection was donated to museums throughout the United States. This collection contains one-of-a-kind animal figures in top condition, including a turkey, seal, tiger, billy goat, and centaur who looks like Teddy Roosevelt. This area of the museum is also the current home to a pair of carousel organs looking for donations to get repaired.

A sign describing the history of the Freels Collection A white horse with a saddle shaped like a bald eagle clutching an American flag in its talons A plain, brown carousel turkey A carousel tiger with a blue saddle and flowers A palomino carousel horse A plain, cream-colored carousel billy goat wearing a saddle A brown carousel centaur whose human half looks like Teddy Roosevelt A black carousel seal wearing a green and gold saddle Carousel organ in a wooden case with thirteen horns, two drums, and a cymbal A carousel organ with bells, two drums, and a cymbal powered by a Yamaha board

On the opposite end of the main gallery was a hallway leading to three different exhibits. Going straight led to the working carousel with a player piano and a children’s play area, where a birthday party was happening. The moving animals on the carousel supports people up to 160 pounds, while the benches have no weight limit, so there is a spot for all sizes.

Going right led to an exhibit on modern carousel designers featuring animals from the Greenway Carousel at The Tiffany & Co. Foundation Grove, part of the Rose Kennedy Greenway in Boston, MA. Designed by Tufts University alumnus Jeff Briggs and painted by Massachusetts native William Rogers, this amazing carousel features fourteen handcrafted wild animals found in Massachusetts. My favorites were the lobster and peregrine falcon. Additionally, the carousel is ADA compliant, allowing anyone to ride it regardless of ability.

A decorative blue and gold panel portraying walleye salmon leaping from the water A carousel great blue heron with a green and gold saddle A running carousel zebra wearing a green saddle
A physical model and blueprint of a carousel codfish A model and blueprint of a carousel lobster A model and blueprint of a carousel peregrine falcon
A gray carousel elephant with a red, blue, and gold saddle A model and blueprint of an unpainted carousel squirrel A basic street organ, unpainted, with a small drum in the back

The second floor can be accessed by a short flight of stairs or by elevator. On this floor is a large events room, which can be rented out for birthday parties, family reunions, weddings, and other events. The carousel animals make a fun backdrop and photo opportunity for guests. Also on this floor is an adorable collection of miniature carousels and models.

A tiny model of an 1895 Looff carousel, complete with animals and passengers A golden carousel horse with a brown saddle A row of carousel horses in different colors and designs A white carousel husky A bright yellow carousel lion with multicolored saddle A gray tabby carousel cat with a bluebird in its mouth with a reddish-brown saddle An adult-sized carousel-style cream colored rocking horse with a dark pink saddle A pair of carousel horses by a red railing 

An added bonus, or a bizarre addition, are The Museum of Fire History and The Museum of Greek Culture. Tucked in the corner of the otherwise lovely space are a collection of old firefighter related equipment and a fake Greek temple with a few busts. These were donations to the museum, with the story of the Fire Museum spelled out more clearly than the Greek Museum. I prefer the Fire Museum of Texas in Beaumont, TX from last year’s adventures in the Lone Star State, but this would be a decent place to take young children who love all things firefighter.

Sign in front of a red brick factory building reading "Museum of Fire History" A trio of red and black fire buckets hung on a red brick wall A bright red fire alarm box on a stand, about four feet tall. A pair of firefighter uniforms standing in front of a wall-sized black-and-white photograph of firefighters underneath a sign reading "The Museum of Fire History" A round, metal fire alarm bell beneath an ornate wooden case housing the ringing mechanism A wooden wall decorated with fire alarm bells, with firefighter helmets hanging from the ceiling A wooden case with glass front displaying five shelves of firetruck toys, with additional toys on top A sign describing the history of the Museum of Fire History A gray, fabric life net with a metal rim. A red dot is painted in the middle, like a target.  A crudely painted face cutout depicting a firefighter standing in front of a firetruck with an insignia reading "Bristol Fire Dept" 
A sign in front of the corner of a red brick factory building, reading "Museum of Greek Culture" A room with a faux marble floor, neoclassical plaster wall, and three plaster heads on pedestals A shrunken version of a Greek temple built inside a factory building A white plaster head of a bearded man

The museum was surprisingly accessible. Around the exhibits were signs for CRISAccess, a branch of the Connecticut Radio Information System “provid[ing] human-narrated audio exhibits and walking tours with [a] free mobile app that integrates GPS and QR Code technologies”, according to the website. The informative narration was perfect for families with children, the blind and visually impaired, and anyone with museum fatigue from reading too many signs.

A pair of signs for CRIS access in English and Spanish with QR codes
A large open book describing the history of carousels. On the right, set in a rack attached to a wooden pole, is a binder with contents describing the exhibit
A white carousel horse with a yellow mane and tail, decorated by roses

Across the street on the building for Primo Press was a mural in progress by East Hartford, CT artist Micaela Levesque. Acclaimed poet Maya Angelou appears in the center, while Barbara Hudson, a Bristol, CT native and first Black curator of the Wadsworth Athenaeum, appears on the left. The mural was completed a few days ago. To see a picture of the completed mural, along with an article about its significance, check out this article from the Hartford Courant.

A bright blue building painting with a pair of realistic portraits featuring Black women, Maya Angelou and Barbara Hudson


Abby Epplett’s Rating System

Experience: 8/10

Accessibility: 8/10


Location: 95 Riverside Ave, Bristol, CT 06010, USA

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