The Carousel of Happiness is found in the small town of Nederland, 17 miles west of Boulder Colorado. The carousel is a magnificent creation, built on the frame of an old 1910 Charles Looff carousel from Salt Lake City, that had survived nearly a century of weather, fire, and a roller coaster that blew over onto it during a wind storm. In 1986 the original animals were boughten, and removed by a collector, but the rest remained. Scott Harrison, a Nederland resident and veteran, took it upon himself to restore the carousel, and brought the rest of it over to Nederland. For the next 26 years he worked on restoring it, and carving new animals to take the place of the old.
On Memorial Day in 2010, the Carousel of Happiness finally opened, with 36 whimsical animals, including horses, boxing kangaroos, lions, mermaids, moose, peacocks, and a great many more! The carousel is handicapped-accessible, with wheelchair ramps, and bench-type rides.
At the gift shop you’ll find toys, books, puppets, and other things kids will love. Upstairs there is a Puppet Theatre, where children can put on their own shows. The Carousel of Happiness is not only a fun place to go for a ride, it’s also a great place for parties. A party room is available for up to ten kids and their parents, with 10 carousel tickets included. If you want to go all-out, you can rent the entire carousel during after-hours, with unlimited rides. For more information and pricing, click here.
Hours of operation vary with the seasons, so click here for current information. Rides are an affordable $1 each.
The Carousel of Happiness can be found at 20 Lakeview Drive, Nederland, CO 80466, just off of Highway 119.
Find more information at CarouselOfHappiness.org
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