Cancel

    Open app

    Search

    Paragon Carousel

    4.6 (24 reviews)
    Closed Closed
    Updated 3 weeks ago

    Paragon Carousel Photos

    You might also consider

    Recommended Reviews - Paragon Carousel

    Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
    Yelp app icon
    Browse more easily on the app
    Review Feed Illustration

    Reviews With Photos

    When horses get "sick."
    Kade K.

    "This merry-go-round is gonna go around three times. If you change your mind about this, you can get off. But once it goes around for the third time, it's too late. You're married." ~ Old time carnival worker When the beachfront Paragon Park amusement park closed down in 1984, local preservationists grabbed up enough parts at auction to reassemble and house the glorious carousel in a twelve-sided stucco building on the boardwalk. And it's a skip away from the tiny one room museum that will give you the entire history of the park and life on the Massachusetts South Shore when radio was AM/FM and satellite was just some nebulous hunk of junk way up in the sky. This merry-go-round has been going around for ninety years and I wonder how many young couples have hopped on amidst happy toddlers and nervous parents, dreamily pretended this ride was only theirs. That's a lot of dreams in ninety years. And you can still get your chance. These ponies still strut. There are over sixty them to choose as your mount along with two Roman chariots for those of us who just want to sit down as the everyone else goes merrily around. The horses are in a constant state of restoration done handily and artistically on-site by artist James Hardison. The painting techniques used are similar to those used in 1928. Bright Japanese colors along with glazing mediums are applied by hand with brushes. I hate the phrase "step back in time" because that makes an activity sound outdated. It's very much present day fun. And yet it's just a merry-go-round. You get on and the friendly staff makes you feel special. Close your eyes, hear the music and maybe you go back to dreaming of your first love, your present love or just your love of being a kid. Then you go next door and get an ice cream cone or some fried clams. Simple. The Paragon Carousel has a mission statement. "To offer a vibrant community experience providing an atmosphere where the majesty of history and artistry meet the world of fantasy and fun, creating lasting memories for all who enter its doors." Success!

    Waiting to ride the carousel!
    Ben B.

    While spending summers at Nantasket Beach, when I was growing up in the 80s, Paragon Park was always a draw for my friends and I. Shortly before my family sold their summer home, the park was sold and part of my childhood ended. However, volunteers banded together to purchase the carousel and had it moved to it's present location. After nearly thirty years at the new location, many of the horses have been restored and the historic carousel continues to thrill children of all ages. At $2.50 a ride, it is a steal and brings back wonderful memories of summers gone by.

    See all

    4 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Damien S.
    4997
    2100
    5523

    8 years ago

    Helpful 4
    Thanks 0
    Love this 6
    Oh no 0

    15 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Kade K.
    0
    52
    56

    8 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    12 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    8 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    9 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Chris M.
    8
    691
    447

    13 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    13 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    17 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    16 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    9 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Amanda P.
    20
    121
    3

    9 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    9 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    18 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    13 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    15 years ago

    We had my daughter birthday party here. It was a great day. Easy to plan and afforable. Only problem is they don't have bathrooms.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Robert D.
    37
    113
    12

    13 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Deb S.
    46
    8
    0

    12 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of D M.
    0
    146
    20

    14 years ago

    5 Stars. Gorgeous piece of history here. Nicely maintained, nice staff, fantastic renovation work,

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    10 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    13 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    Ask the Community - Paragon Carousel

    Review Highlights - Paragon Carousel

    Not only is it one of the only remaining pieces of Paragon Park but it also is a must see place when you go to the beach.

    Mentioned in 4 reviews

    Read more highlights

    You might also consider

    Verify this business for free

    People searched for Carousels 127 times last month within 15 miles of this business.

    Verify this business

    Crescent Park Looff Carousel - The Band Organ

    Crescent Park Looff Carousel

    (24 reviews)

    The Crescent Park Looff Carousel is a historic carousel that opened in Riverside, East Providence,…read moreRhode Island in 1895. It was built by Danish immigrant Charles I. D. Looff. He was born as Carl Jürgen Detlef Looff in Bad Bramstedt, Holstein (now Germany) in 1852. After immigrating to the United States in 1870 at the age of 18, Looff settled in Greenpoint, Brooklyn and found work as a carver for a furniture factory. He began a hobby of taking home leftover wood scraps from the factory and carving them into carousel animals. He created his first carousel in 1876 and it became Coney Island's first carousel and amusement ride. Looff soon opened his own carousel factory in Brooklyn and continued to build more of the rides. In 1886, Looff was commissioned to build a carousel for Crescent Park (known as "the Coney Island of the East") in Rhode Island. In 1895, he moved his family there and established a new headquarters. He built a second, larger and more elaborate carousel for the amusement park. He also built an adjoining workshop and showroom for prospective buyers. Looff relocated to California in 1910 so he could build carousels for amusement parks on the West Coast. He passed away in 1918 after building close to 50 carousels. Looff is regarded as one of the most important and influential carousel builders of all time. Crescent Park was damaged by the 1938 New England Hurricane. Repairs were made, but the park permanently closed in 1977 with most of the rides being sold at auction. The Looff Carousel was saved and was declared a National Historic Landmark. It has undergone a number of restorations over the years. The platform features 61 horses, a camel, two single dragon coaches and two double chariots. It is one of the last surviving carousels to still be standing in its original location with all of the original components. Today the carousel is open from June through October. It operates on Saturdays and Sundays from 12pm - 6pm. Rides cost $2. My family and I recently visited the Crescent Park Looff Carousel. My wife and I have been carousel enthusiasts since we visited the New England Carousel Museum a few years ago. We had heard that the carousel in Riverside was one of the best historic carousels that was still left. This carousel is absolutely beautiful! You can tell that all of the horses were carved by a master craftsman. We also really liked that this one is one of the few that still features a brass ring device. A wooden arm dispenses iron rings that carousel riders try to grab as they pass by. If a rider gets a 'brass ring', then they win a free ride. This whole concept adds a fun competitive element to the ride. As an added bonus, riders can throw them into the cut-out mouth of a clown face painted on a large canvas. We had so much fun riding the Crescent Park Looff Carousel. Our only complaint is that the band organ wasn't operating during our visit. Aside from that, we think that it is probably the BEST carousel that we have ever visited! We hope to return again and again!

    I absolutely love the Crescent Park Carousel, and so do my kids. The park is in a beautiful area…read morewith the carousel right across the street. The horses are beautiful, and the building itself fabulous. It has original features, and I love trying to grab for the golden ring. I wish it were open year-round, but it's only seasonal and certain days of the year, so it's a real treat going there in the spring and summer.

    Carousel Family Fun Center - Whitman

    Carousel Family Fun Center - Whitman

    (51 reviews)

    Just celebrated my daughter's 7th birthday in 3/27 and was blown away by their outstanding venue…read moreand level of exceptional service! I'm still getting texts from my guests saying the party was extraordinary!! We chose "The Super Private Birthday Party" package for 50 people and purchased a few add-ons, Food Deals (5 pizza's, 5 pitchers soda, lemonade, fruit punch) Chix Fingers, Veggie Platter and the skate-mate package as we had a bunch of little kids new to skating! Food was delicious, my mother said it was the best pizza ever! Charlene and her staff were super friendly, accommodating and always had a smile on their face! While the package comes with party invitations, place settings etc. I chose to bring my own. Since I only had 15 minutes to set-up (completely normal with a venue like this) I was a little worried but the on-site team was amazing going above and beyond helping me set up and implement all the personalized touches I had organized!! 2 hrs. goes by very quickly but the team had a perfect cadence for food service, singing happy birthday and serving cake, cupcakes and ice cream to kids & the adults. Not only did the kids have a blast roller skating, roller blading and playing in the arcade, but even the adults had fun, bringing us back to our younger years!! Thank you again to Charlene and the exceptional staff, you really made my daughter feel like a birthday princess and I am just so impressed by the quality of your venue and your outstanding service!! I would highly recommend this to anyone looking to do a birthday party! We will definitely be back!!

    This place is great! The bars they have for inexperienced skaters to push around are super helpful…read more Food was good, staff were excellent!

    Paragon Carousel - carousels - Updated May 2026

    Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...