This was my favorite part of Riverfront Park, thanks to my kiddo. She rode on her first carousel a week before visiting here and she loved it so when my best friend mentioned that Salem had a carousel (why??) we decided to come check it out. The carousel is indoors so that's a nice perk when it's cold or rainy. It's a large carousel with different animals as well as some benches, and they're adding others soon--including a U of O themed duck. The rides are pretty inexpensive at $2 each; you'll buy tokens at the gift shop. (They only take cards with a minimum $5 purchase.) Alternatively, you can pay $15 for unlimited rides for the day. The gift shop has lots of stuff... except t-shirts, which they were out of the day we came in and that was a bummer since I'd wanted to get one for the little one. There are indoor toilets here (yay) and they have some vendors--at least, there as a cotton candy vendor here when we visited. They also rent the space out and there was a nice private room off to the side of the carousel. There's lots of parking here since it's part of the overall Riverfront Park. read more

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The carousel is beautiful but the service at the store leaves a bit to be desired and at $2 a ride, it's a little pricey. When I walked in, the cashier promptly stood up, but I was trying to pull up the photo of my berry pass so I waited off to the side. A woman paid and I overheard the cashier mention that she needs the physical berry pass so I scooted behind the person who was in line next since I no longer had to find the photo on my phone. The people who came into the shop created a fork in the line, so I let them go in front of me because I was the one who caused the confusion. After they paid, the cashier would not accept that I was waiting in line, however, the woman she tried to help told me to go. The cashier scoffed when I came up to the counter. Then she was very abrupt with my sale, and as I was leaving I heard her tell the woman who let me go, "that was very kind of you." I turned around and said, "I've literally been waiting in line" to which the woman said, "I know you have." but the cashier wouldn't even look at me. It was not a great experience for me. Thankfully my daughter was oblivious to the encounter and enjoyed the ride itself. read more

This is such a cute little activity if you're in the neighborhood with family and friends. It's clean, cheap, and goes a little faster than expected. Finding an animal with a silly name is the best part! We rode Magic and Legal Tender read more

Salem's Riverfront Carousel - Carousel - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Salem, Oregon

The carousel is awesome. The gift shop is cute, although I was there with my 3-year-old today reading some of the children's books and the girl working there said, "Are you going to buy something? Because this isn't a library." Mind you, we were the only people in the store. Maybe put up a sign or something if you don't want people reading the kids' books there? (This is the only negative experience we've had in the store - other times, my daughter has happily wandered around checking out the toys and books for quite some time and the folks working there have been nothing but kind and welcoming.) read more

This place is so so cool.. There is a bridge you can walk.There is a small park you can walk plust you are on the waterfront.. the rivers edge a huge river boat that does tour's..reminds me of the casino boat from the show Ozark.. It's super cool.The staff is friendly the price is right for what you want to do.If you are in the area you should definitely stop by this place.... You will not be disappointed:) read more

In its simplicity the carousel and surrounding park is a great family destination. Of course any carousel ride could always be longer. read more

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Love the Carousel! Actually, it was the deciding factor when we moved to Salem. Prior to moving to Oregon, we visited twice. We were deciding between several cities. In the end, we chose the city with the Carousel! read more

Salem's Riverfront Carousel - Here we are, having my annual birthday carousel ride! - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Salem, Oregon

We absolutely loved visiting the carousel! The animals are gorgeous and so well maintained, the staff was very friendly, and there's even a super cute gift shop in the same building whose owner is really nice. Highly recommend! read more

One of the most Beautiful and Amazing places we stumbled upon. I love this place for walking and relaxing. I have told many of my friends about this gem of a place and hope they visit it. We will be returning very soon. read more

Great little marina carousel ride. Cheap cost to ride on hand crafted wooden animals - worth the tourist hit. Everyone was super nice and covid-safe. Also was able to see the wooden workshop with a shark ride and another horse ride being worked on - very cool to see. read more

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Cute little place to stop and kill time! Rides are only $1.50 and Santa comes to take pictures on Nov. 23 and it's free! read more

Salem's Riverfront Carousel - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Salem, Oregon

Always a favorite when grandkids come to visit. Nice having park next to carousel. Parking can still be an issue with bike riders parking car & riding bikes. read more

There was a ton of cars at the (free) parking lot at Riverfront Park. Also in the parking lot was a man who looked just like actor Danny Trejo. We asked him if he had a pocketknife (I was totally not racial profiling. How was I to know my recently purchased umbrella stroller had four hard plastic ties that needed to be cut in order to open and use the stroller?!) He thought our request was funny and said,"sorry I don't carry pocketknives." I was secretly relieved. Anyway, the day was very warm so the park was packed with happy folks walking leashed pets and having picnics. One of the picnickers had a serrated bread knife and freed our stroller from its restrictive ties (and my back from carrying my 19 lb baby. I started to feel more like Atlas on a golden apple break and less like Sisyphus. The kids and I saw the " Willamette Queen" sternwheeler moseying past but decided to save that for our next visit ($12 adults, $6 kids 4-10 yrs for no lunch 1 hour excursion). My motion sickness aside, the carousel was great and my kids begged for a second ride but the gift shop was a'calling to the shopaholic in me so I took the little pouters in for a look around. I liked the espresso cart which is well placed so that loving but exasperated parents like myself can fuel up for more QT with the tots. There were some strange characters intermingled with a few people who were quietly fishing down at the pier area so the kids and I didn't hang out in this area very long. This park is pretty awesome with its amphitheater, playground, park benches, and fun diversity. We shall return! read more

What a gem. If you check in on Yelp you get a free ride, so that alone is well worth doing. But paying $1.50 for a ride is really really inexpensive IMO. This carousel is hand painted, historic, and so beautiful. We happened to stop there after being in Salem for the day and we cannot wait to go back. It is a must see treasure here in the capital city. read more

Wow!! This place is outstanding! We had a lot of fun here. You can see the pride of craftsmen ship in every square inch of carved wood in the building. I am very appreciative to all of the volunteers involved in creating this amazing work of art. It looked as though every person in the building was enjoying themselves. This is a nice bit of nostalgia, with a gift shop and a big room for children parties. The staff here is friendly and knowledgeable. Big kudos to Joe, what an impressive young man! Yes we will be back here again. I look forward to reaching for the brass ring. read more

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Super cool place for kids to ride for only $1.50, parents are free. They only take cash but there is a gift shop and you can pay with a card to get tokens to ride you just have to spend $5 to use a card in the shop. They have really cute stuff for fair prices. Also the customer service in the shop and when riding the carousel was exceptional. Everyone was very kind and helpful. I recommend. read more

Salem's Riverfront Carousel - My adorable peeps on the carousel. - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Salem, Oregon

We love the carousel and visit often! The animals are beautifully painted and the staff/volunteers are super friendly. They even have a vendor selling popcorn and cotton candy, which is a big hit with my kids. read more

This gets five stars because I can't think of anyway that this, or any other, carousel could get better. I mean, it's a carousel. Maybe it gets five stars because all the horses are hand carved. Maybe it's because none of the horses are covered with sticky yuck and cookie crumbs from all the kids. Either way, it's five stars. Ok, the carousel is very pretty. It's a typical slow circular ride, but it's to be expected. The rides are only $1.25 a person and they last just long enough to make you glad you aren't drunk. Adults are welcome, and I can assure you that even if you're on the heavy side, you WON'T break a horse! This is definately not an all-day activity. You and your kids (or date, grandma, whatever) will be bored after two turns on the thing. Plan to spend no more than 30 minutes here. read more

This place is so cute and fun. It's not like a place you must go out of your way to see, but it is well priced to ride and it is really cool for such a reasonable price to ride an old school carousel (which of course is gorgeous). What a great family destination, but with the river nearby, I could really see this being a cute date night spot. Go ride the carousel before they close, then walk to the lake for a picnic dinner. read more

I have to say that since moving into this area, this place is a nice benefit. My son and I like to hang here when it isn't raining and enjoy the carousel and the park. I enjoy walking and grabbing a bit of grub when the weather is nice and it's just a really nice place to hang out with your kid. I suggest this spot for families, friends and dates! read more

I love taking my niece here. It never gets old. $1.50/ride, and kids love holding their carousel tokens and handing them over for a ride. I think you can still get punch cards to and save a little that way for multiple rides. Sometimes they sell popcorn here as well which is a nice treat. The gift shop is fun to look through as well. The staff at this place always has a smile on their faces. read more

Stopped by here during the birthday celebration. It is a very nice park in Salem and the carosel is a nice throwback to a bygone era. The kids enjoyed a number of rides and the free ice cream and cake that was being served. If I lived in Salem, I'm sure that this is a park we would be frequenting. read more

Wow. Just wow. I had my birthday party at the Carousel and the room is perfection, but the staff, oh the staff! are stellar. They went above and beyond for me, my helpers, my guests. They are so helpful, knowledgeable, and gracious. The room was beautiful when we arrived, drop off was easy, and they'd come by to make sure we were ok periodically. read more

Every time we come to Oregon we take some time to stop here. The carousel is a great deal for $1.50, and all the horses and animals are beautiful hand painted. The park is also wonderful and I do t think we have ever spent less than 2 hours there. Overall a great low cost family destination. read more

I came down to celebrate their Birthday and brought along an Autistic child I watch. I was willing to pay the $1 rides for him, but asked if I could get on with him. They handed me my money back and gave me free tickets to ride for both of us! They apparently have a policy of children with disabilities get to ride free along with their caregiver up to 5 times a day. We ended up riding it 4 times and really enjoyed ourselves! We also got some yummy cake! The staff/volunteers were very nice and friendly and understanding. read more

My daughter loves it when I take her here. If the weather is nice, the playground is really nice too. We usually get some candy and take a couple rides. This is a great place to entertain little ones downtown. read more

Spent the afternoon here with my 3 year old "best friend". We played in the park for awhile, ate our snack from home, watched the clouds, then we ventured over the to carousel. I haven't been on one in years but it looked like a nice one. $1.50! The ticket guy was very, very nice and patient with the little one handing him money. The young man at the gate was great..a high five for every child as they left and the girl with the gold ring made it very easy for little ones to grab the gold one. She got a free ride and kept asking to ride the "bear horse" I couldn't figure it out until she pointed to one without a saddle...oh..the "bare horse"..of course. Their were horses from all eras and types and a couple of other animals thrown in. Pretty sure we rode them all. What a wonderful day, thank you! read more

This was the greatest place. Each animal was hand carved and hand painted by volunteers. They also allow the general public to view the carving and painting onsite. The rides are priced so reasonable I wanted to ride all the ponies. Again, best carousel I have seen yet. read more

Fun carousel in very lovely Riverfront Park. On the day we visited it was terribly windy and we didn't get to play outside much, so we rode the carousel several times. It is beautiful, enclosed (thankfully for us), and we had a lot of fun. read more

It is 1.50 for a ride! I honestly was expecting to pay at least $3 per a ride. I There is this token booth, where you paid 1.50 and use it for the ride. While with my cousins, we played fish brass game. It is where you go on the carousel, and try to grab these "loops" out of the fish's mouth. The person that gets the gold loop gets a free ride. If you are under 5 feet, your armspan probably wont be long enough to reach it. It isnt to easy to get the loops. I miss one =) I got around 10 loops,so that's at least how many times you will go around. off to the side, there is this machine where it changes your penny into a souvenir thing. It costs 2 quarters and 1 penny. The machine offers 4 designs, one is happy holiday and gigi. On the other corner, they had an slushee machine. Off to the side, there is the gift shop. Parking is super full, so I parked at the Marion parkade. read more

Great place to take the kids, riding on the carousel is well priced. There is also a part next door with toys and an area to walk around. You can see the river from the park, and there's always children there for your kids to play with, definitely more crowded during the warmer months. There is also a gift shop with lots of neat things in it. read more

One of the best indoor activities for children (or children at heart) in Salem, and inexpensive to boot. The facility offers lots of snack options, provides a cute, little spot for children's birthday parties, and has a wonderful gift shop. While not an all-day activity, it's a great excursion. read more

We have been here just for fun and the kids love it!!! Rain or shine, great place to go. When it's nice out they open the doors and have a nice patio with adjacent park with playground. Staff is wonderful too. We had a 6th b-day party here and they were great to work with then too!!! read more

Around and around and around you go on the carousel. Around and around and around some more -- and then you get bored. It is nice though that the Salem Waterfront has this. But this is all the Waterfront has...well...besides a big earth ball. So take your kids to the carousel if you wish...and go around and around and around...and around. read more

Parking is the only challenge if you have small kids and want to park near the Carousel. You can park at the far end of the park (over by the Gilbert House) but it's a bit of a huff if you have as many kids as I do! LOL It's a fantastic park to play! The play structure keeps my 11 year old just as happy as my 2 year old. There's a short walk over to the river where you can go and have a look at the paddle boat on the doc if you'd like. In the summer there's a splash pad (though not much shade there, at least two summers ago when we were there last). Plenty of Picnic tables to enjoy a lunch (and lots of shaded spots for a picnic by the playground). The carousel is so beautiful, the kids love it... and the price is completely affordable! If you have anyone with special needs you can get up to five passes for the day from the gift shop, you just ask, this helps if you have to ride with any of your fancy kids like I do! The carousel has creatures that move, some that are stationary, and there are a small number of spots that are like sitting on benches for those with possible mobility or fear challenges. The staff there have been soooo sweet! My 4th daughter had a bit of a melt down the first time we were there and they were wonderful and patient with her until she was comfortable to move onto the carousel. Thankfully it wasn't busy at the time. Sometimes they have the ring game playing where you can grab rings from the flying fish (while seated from your ride!) and if you grab the golden ring you get a free ride token!! The gift shop has some delightful finds as well. Often there's popcorn or cotton candy also being sold in the main carousel area. It's a great little stop for a short adventure, or a wonderful day stay! (There are public restrooms by the play structure that are kept in pretty good shape most of the time. Its been rare for us to find them in disarray). (If you have big kids there are HUGE wide open spaces for frisbee or soccer or what have you...) read more

I love the hand crafted horses. parking can be a bit hard. They have a pass if you come frequently. The kids LOVED it! The price was reasonable, but we ended up having to go several times again and again. Don't count on just one spin, but at $1.50 per ride and a good enough ride it's great. There are seated as well as moving rides. It is also in excellent condition so I had no qualms letting the kids enjoy it! read more

The carousel is so much fun! My toddler and I loved it. There are several horses to pick from and the ride is cheap! It was clean and well maintained. Its right near the waterfront and theres a park nearby with a playground. read more