carousel of happiness

112ritab

A wonderful story about the carousel. It gets you through a tough time in life. It makes people happy and relax. Thank you from Rita Bennett and Steve Nordstrom from Westminster Colorado

FLSki

Just try to only ride once! A great time for young and young at heart! Love the hand carved animals and antique Carousel.

Kate2268

The Carousel of Happiness is a unique and memorable experience whether you ride or just watch. Each of the whimsical figures was hand carved/sculpted with great care and detail by its creator. There is only one horse, an Indian pony romping along with a mermaid, moose, flying pig, cow, zebra and many others while carousel music spurs them on. The gorilla cozies up to a chair that can be sat on or removed to make way for a wheelchair. There is even a lift for a power wheelchair if needed. If you don't want to go up and down, you can ride in the swan boat, dragon boat or ride the stationary tiger. Bring your camera. Hours vary in different seasons, so you might want to call or check their website before you go. I've visited the Carousel a number of times and loved every one of them. All ages will find delight in this unusual non-profit where each ride is $1 and watching is free. If this is your first visit to Nederland, you'll also find a wide range of food sources and interesting shops in this quaint old west town.

laurab257

so, you are too old to ride a carousel? well, this is a piece of art, a happening, a moment. take your kids, your inner kids, and spend a bit of time on this colorful, delightful and dedicated sculpture. it has old parts and new parts and worth your dollar. take a few minutes while you are there to read about why it was created and for who cuz the artist truly has his heart in the right space.

scott043

This will be the best dollar you spend this year. Operated by a Non-Profit, The Carousel is not to be missed. Not just for little kids; everyone in your group will enjoy this ride.

MandySue1024

The carousel is the result of one man's vision: an act of personal healing and a gift to the community. (The dollar charge only supports but does not cover the cost of operation.) You can find the interesting history online, and it was featured in Spirit Magazine (SW Airlines) this past year.The fanciful animals are all hand-carved, and the music is the real deal: an old-fashioned Wurlitzer calliope like the ones you might remember from your childhood (if you are a baby boomer). If you have even a spark of the little kid left in you, the Carousel of Happiness will make you smile.

Knop_11

This is a neat place with a lot of history. Carousel rides are only $1. Also has a gift store. There are photos showing the history and the staff can talk to you about it too. They also have a puppet show, but we did not see it.l

SamSofnNad

Probably not enough to make it a destination attraction, but worth taking an hour or two if in the boulder area or driving that general direction. If you go read the history on the web before or ask about it with any of the folks working there. Beautiful carvings, cool for the kids (its a ride...) and cool for the adults (hand carved amazing art and nostalgic history)

SherC177

This is a beautiful piece of art as well as a wonderful ride. All this for one dollar, can't beat it. Plus it's in Nederland, a great place to visit.

650BrianJ

We were staying near Nederland, and read about the Carousel of Happiness. An old school carousel with new hand-carved animals? In Nederland? Called "The Carousel of Happiness"??? It seemed like fiction or fantasy.But it's not. It is very real, and it is quite remarkable.You can see all of the workings of the carousel mechanics and the music machine—a Wurlitzer box that ran off something like player piano rolls. The animals are beautiful and whimsical. Everywhere you look there are touches—the mystical figure on top of the carousel, the mirrors that let you see different views of the animals. It looks an sounds like a carousel from my dreams. I was spinning round and round and moving up and down and felt truly transported. Most of the riders were kids, but the adults had just as much fun.A ride was only $1, but the experience was truly priceless.If you are nearby and fancy a moment of nostalgia, a moment of whimsy, a moment of joy, do take a spin on the aptly named Carousel of Happiness.And make sure that you learn the story of how it came to be.Amazing.

tropicalnorth

How I could NOT give 5 stars to a beautiful hand carved carousel carved by a Vietnam vet and staffed by volunteers for $1 a ride? Such a sweet nostalgic moment of joy tucked away in the parking lot of a mall behind the train cars. I went for a spin all by myself to a Count Basie tune. Definitely worth a stop for your kids or your kid at heart!

russp172

All of the animals in this carousel are hand carved! That alone makes it worth the experience. And then there is the restore organ and motor powering the carousel. Enjoy a ride or two and leave a donation, too!

chuckyfromkentucky

and some of their parents bring along a kid so they can ride w/o being embarrassed - this was a community supported project which took 20 or so years - it was a work of love for the guys who bought a wrecked carousel, transported it about a 1000s mile to Nederland and crearted a masterpiece from the wreck. It is volenteer staffed for the most part - It is a must see and bring along a kid!

tennvols2009

Kids and parents both had a great time riding the carousel! Definitely recommend to ask who come to Nederland!!

JenR764

Real cool antique carousel real fun "characters" to ride, neat place, and I don't even have kids. Good photo ops on the ride. . Fun gift shop. walking distance from everything in downtown Nederland.