ANTIQUE CAROUSEL CA 1911
LOOF CAROUSEL
Charles I.D. Looff began manufacturing carousels in 1876 - installing the first one at Coney Island in New York. In total, Looff built approximately 40 carousels between 1876 and 1916 of which only 13 are still in operation today - including this one at Fantasy Fair.
In 1910 Looff moved his operation to Long Beach, California where the Fantasy Fair carousel was originally built and installed. Many years later, the ride was dismantled and the hand carved wooden horses auctioned as prized collector pieces.
In 1985, the carousel was erected in Fantasy Fair with the original wooden horses being replaced with fibreglass replicas of Looff's originals, the structure however, remains the same as it did in 1911 and is featured with 44 jumping horses, 8 stationary horses and 4 chariots on a 54 foot deck.