The wooden carousel that once delighted visitors at Youngs-town's Idora Park is open to the public again in a new location - Brooklyn, N.Y.
Jane and David Walentas purchased the carousel at auction in 1984 and spent $15 million to restore it and to provide a location for its new home. Originally built in 1922 and now known as Jane's Carousel, the carousel has been installed in Brooklyn Bridge Park in an acrylic pavilion designed by French architect Jean Nouvel. Jane Walentas painstakingly worked to recreate the colors and decorative touches of the original carousel. The carousel also was rewired.
Terminal Park, later renamed Idora Park, opened in Youngstown near Mill Creek Park on May 30, 1899. A devastating fire in 1984 led to the sudden closure of the park and damage to many of the park's attractions, including the Wildcat, a wooden roller coaster ranked as one of the best in the world. Some parts of the carousel suffered blistering of the paint due to the heat of the fire.
Article Photos
This photo shows Jane’s Carousel in Brooklyn, N.Y. The carousel, built in 1922 by the Philadelphia Toboggan company of Germantown, Penn., was originally installed in Idora Park in Youngstown. It has been restored by artist Jane Walentas and opened to the riding public Friday. French architect Jean Nouvel designed the acrylic box-shaped pavilion, located on the Brooklyn waterfront between the Brooklyn and Manhattan bridges.
Jane's Carousel opened on Friday and is open six days a week from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. through Nov. 6. Winter hours also will be available. Tickets are $2, and children younger than 3 ride free with a paying adult.
Learn more about the carousel and its restoration at janescarousel.com.