Allan Herschell 3-Abreast Carousel, Historical carousel at Chase Palm Park, Santa Barbara, US.
The Allan Herschell 3-Abreast Carousel is a wooden ride featuring 35 hand-carved jumping horses and two benched chariots for group seating. The construction reflects early twentieth-century manufacturing methods and mechanical design from that era.
Built in 1916 by the Allan Herschell Company, the carousel likely ran at an eastern US amusement park before moving to Seaport Village in San Diego in 1977. It was restored in 1997 and operated in Chase Palm Park in Santa Barbara from 1999 until its lease ended in 2017. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2000 and later relocated to a carousel museum in Hood River, Oregon.
The carousel's 35 jumping horses were hand-carved by the Allan Herschell Company, and the outer-rim horses have gentle faces and deep woodwork that set them apart from the company's other designs. The two carved chariots serve as benches for riders who prefer not to mount a horse. The ride is owned by the Perron family.
The carousel left Chase Palm Park after a weekend carnival in early December 2017, when rides were free; it was then moved to a carousel museum in Hood River, Oregon, scheduled to open in 2019. Check that museum's opening before travelling, and do not expect to find the ride in Santa Barbara.
This ride is one of only four large carousels manufactured by the Allan Herschell Company during the years 1915 to 1927. This rarity makes it a special discovery for visitors interested in amusement park history.
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