Crescent Park Looff Carousel

A dollar doesn’t go far these days, but at Crescent Park, $ 1 will get you a ride back into time! This well-​kept carousel is authentic, built in 1895, and a real local treasure. The whimsical sounds from the German organ magically transports you to childhood. I think my husband and I had just as much fun as our 2-​year-​old. And bring your camera — great photo opportunities on the carousel and in the nice green park across the street.

nice carousel. first one my daughter has ever been on. 75 cents per ticket, 1 ticket per person, per ride. rotation goes around about half a dozen times. there are A few kiddie rides outside, $ 1 per ticket, and most rides require at least 2 tickets. my daughter was too small to go on most of the rides which she was disappointed about.

Reach for the brass ring, in the original sense of the idiom.
This fast-​moving century-​old carousel has a touch of danger and adventure that modern carousels don’t. Leather seat belts (that are really belts) make it safe enough, but the wind in your hair lets you know this was built in an era (1895) when people knew what a fast horse ride should feel like.
They have an authentic ring-​dispenser that the staff diligently refills as riders on the outer tier of horses enthusiastically snap a ring on each pass and then discard (if iron) or cash-​in for a free ride (if you have gotten a brass ring, well-​worn and golden).
Buy several multi-​ride packs because you’ll want many many rides. Charles Looff was a master carver and carousel builder and the one at Crescent Park was his factory showroom model, huge and intricate.
Build your day trip to Rhode Island around your visit to this carousel. Try the nearby clam shack (in season).

One step into Crescent Park Carousel and you are brought back in time. A feeling of nostalgia brings me back to when I was a little kid and the many trips I’d take here with my family and how much fun it was to pick a horse, go around trying to grab a brass ring and just enjoying a simple ride around on an old time carousel.
I love how the history and details have been preserved here over time. Just a great place to go and enjoy being a kid again and admire the beauty of a historic venue. I also like that they have a Blount Clam Shack outside, which is a great new addition. No matter if you are young or old, come from near or far, I suggest making it a point to take a trip and go enjoy a ride or two over at the carousel.

Fantastic place! Love it. Beautiful, and it was 50 cents per ride on the day we went.

Great Ride. Great atmosphere. Beautiful horses and authentic calliope. Grab for the brass ring. And with a Blount Clam Shack 50 yards away and a great park with a view of the bay right across the street, what’s not to like!

Really fun carousel, lots of history with a mini museum inside. Face painting, games, popcorn etc. Love it!

Family fun from years past. The carousel is in excellent condition. There are lots of photos from years ago when Crescent Park was open. Highly recommended for anyone that wants to see what a real Carousel looks like.

This carousel is enchanting, magical and the craftsmanship shown is spectacular. The history shown in the carousel is fascinating and is amazing to ride a historical landmark for only 75 cents! The area around is well kept and they have a little food shack near by so after a ride you can go grab a snack. Love this place, definitely stop and check it out.

Amazing building and carousel without a doubt! I’ve seen a lot of these now and this one truly stands out as many reviewers say; MAGICAL…
The craftsmanship and museum history photos are what set this on the proper context. Anything with this age and mindful creation has a long history of odd events to make it come to life and stay alive. Stop and play for it will keep your child-​like nature alive as well.

Hands Down, the best carrousel around. Made on site, by Mr Looff himself, the carousel is the only remnant of Crescent Park amusement park. After the park closed in the late 1970’s, the carousel was saved from an uncertain disposition by concerned citizens of Riverside, and is maintained by volunteers. A dollar to ride on a masterpiece is a bargain! The carousel is open seasonally, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and holidays.

I really enjoyed this carousel. I remember stories of my mom telling me about the carousels she rode as a child and this is just like I pictured. The horses are very pretty and the fine detail on the carousel is amazing. My kids had a blast and I will openly admit that I had a great time as well. The bonus: They have the brass rings that you try to grab and throw into the clowns mouth. This task has us all competing against each other for bragging rights. I feel that the price of $ 1 is very reasonable. We went on a Saturday night so the trip was extended by walking around looking at all the classic cars out in the grassy area. Young and old this is a great place to go and enjoy the simple things in life!!!

This is one of my favourite places in the world. There is nothing so absolutely magical as walking into the carousel, smelling the popcorn, and hearing the brass bell ring over the sound of the calliope, signaling the start of a ride that will make you feel like you’re 8 years old again.
Once inside, you can peer through a made of brass and carved horses to see the ticket booth. It was 25¢ when I was a kid, but has gone up to a dollar a ride to keep up with the cost of maintenance. It’s still less expensive than the cheap, mass produced carousels at the mall, and I’d happily pay more, it keep it going.
The carousel was intended as a showroom of sorts of the master carver, Charles I. D. Looff. There are four rows of ponies, the outermost being the largest, most ornate, and expensive, and the innermost, the smallest. Most of them go up and down, but there are alternating rows of stationary seats, as well as a couple of chariots. They’re being refurbished, currently, so there’s an interesting blend of new and old.
One of the biggest treats is the ring catch, as another reviewer mentioned. I remember waiting to be big enough to lean out and crook my fingers around one. The arm is manual, requiring an attendant to feed rings into it, and during most of the rides, there’s a single gold ring, entitling the catcher to a free ride. There is nothing more exciting than looking into your hand and seeing that glimmer of gold between your fingers. If you don’t catch it, you can always try your hand at tossing your ring into the painted clown, just before your whirl by the gift stand.
The calliope is original, as well, and you can still catch the mechanical arms of the cherubs moving to hit their drums now and then. It’s massive and a wonder to behold. The entire carousel is like that, in fact, a little old fashioned oasis in an increasingly busy, modern world.
The carousel is open week-​ends starting Memorial Day and closing after Columbus day, though it does open up for pictures with Santa and the Riverside tree lighting. This is one of the best winter deals around-​a 5 $ donation nets you a picture of Santa, seated in a decorated chariot, welcoming in the holidays. There is no charge if you want to take your own photo, but it’s well worth your money. As another note, you can now also buy souvenir brass rings to keep the memory alive, as well as to discourage people from stealing the finite amount in the building.
My family, Riverside locals, have been going here for years. My daughter became the fourth generation of riders at three weeks old, obliviously curled up in her sling. I hope some day she’ll be able to bring a fifth generation here and experience it the same way I have.

Yippee! Carousel time!
And she sure is a beaut.
There are some passionate Rhodies out there who have kept the Crescent Park Carousel alive through all these +100 years, and continue to fight for her.
Brass rings! Original organ music! Gorgeous wood craftsmanship! A carousel experience does not get any better than this.
The well-​maintained park is a great place to spread out a blanket and relax, play catch, roll down the hill, all that good stuff. Head down to the beach for a stroll, where you can spot remnants of the old boardwalk, and the pottery shards and sea glass pickin’s are prime. I walk this beach every week (my ‘hood!) and fill my pockets with treasures every time.
«Cruise Night» car shows every Saturday night in the summer. Family/​kid movies are screened next to the Carousel Friday nights.
Sorry, I think the clam shack is nasty, but that’s another review!

This place is both historic and magical! The carousel was closed for the better part of last summer due to renovations — renovations which are sure to make this enchanting little place even better.
Located in the park is a little shack where you can purchase clam cakes and chowder. The food is pretty good, so on a sultry summer evening you can expect to wait at least a half hour for your food. Across the street is beautiful Crescent Park on the banks of the river. During the summer, they have live bands that come and play on Thursday nights. Fun for kids, but even more fun for big kids.
75 cents for a ride! Weeeeeee!!!

This is a fun spot to spend twenty idyllic minutes in the summertime. They totally allow grown-​ups to ride this bad boy, and you can have your pick of stationery horsies or ones that move up and down. Daring carousel riders will be excited about the ring toss; you lean over from your horse, pull a ring from a dispenser and throw it into the mouth hole of a giant painted clown! Eep!
Being around so many hyped up little kids is intoxicating, and I am one of those rare girls pushing thirty with a very quiet biological clock. I just like seeing folks having fun! I have never seen anyone here in a crummy mood, with the exception of a toddler who didn’t know what he was in for. Once I had the surreal experience of observing a gaggle of modestly dressed tweens who rode this carousel side-​saddle in ankle-​length skirts.

A Historic Landmark you can ride. Yay!
Built in 1895, the carousel is one of the handful remaining of more than 100 carousels built by Charles I.D. Looff. It’s in excellent condition with finely crafted original parts: the lighting, shed, and band organ.
Set in Crescent Park and overlooking the Seekonk River, the carousel retains bright, vivid colors and the laughter of its riders. It’s open from Easter to Columbus Day. Ride tickets are .75 cents. It’s a great pit stop at the end of the work day or on your way to aging. Wheeeeee!