We love the Balboa Park Carousel and always stop if it's running when we're at Balboa Park or the zoo. It has such a charming, historic old-school feel. Some of the animals go up and down while others stay stationary, so there are options for younger kids too. It's $4 per person, but you get plenty of time going around, so it feels worth it. Such a fun little Balboa Park tradition! read more

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This carousel is so cute. Kids and adults both will enjoy! Tickets are $4 each! The inside animals go up and down, the ones on the outside do not move. Benches located on the outside of the carousel where you can watch! The worker at the carousel booth wasn't very pleasant though. When we asked how much tickets were he just lifted up one finger, we thought ohh a dollar, guess that was him pointing up to the sign that says $4. He definitely looked like he hated his job and didn't want to be there. read more

Balboa Park Carousel - Carousel - Carousels Near Me - San Diego, California

We loved this for the vintage feel and the ride. It could be cheaper and I wish the ones on the outside went up and down. but otherwise was a phenomenal experience. read more

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That's an awesome place to visit when in SD, this area isn't hard to find but once u do its spnkucn fun read more

Balboa Park Carousel - Carousels Near Me - San Diego, California

Very cute, historic landmark! Goes pretty fast and was fun to see the antique animals. The ticket booth worker was impossible to see or hear so it made that part challenging but wouldn't keep me from coming back. read more

Still a great option when in the area. If you have little ones who enjoy carousels and animals, you can't go wrong. This San Diego Icon is here to stay. Be sure to ride it at least once in your life. read more

One of my favorite spots in balboa park since I was a kid. So happy they restored it. Pro tip sit on the outside horses to try and grab a brass ring. They don't go up and down but it could win ya a free ride. read more

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We're so happy to see the carousel restored and running again. This is one of two carousels in San Diego that we come to visit with the children, the other being in Sea Port Village. Five Star for a working historical landmark. read more

Perfect start, or end to your day! For us it was for the end incentive to get our minions to leave the zoo! Parking is easy however depends what you wanna do. Going to the zoo, the zoo parking lot can be a long walk, you can park right next to the carousel and then walk in the zoo. Unless you get there early, be prepared to wait for a spot. This carousel is 100 years old and just a childhood memory experience to hand down until we can't anymore. Safety belts are on all the animals It's maintained and clean Everyone is charged even as a family member standing with your little. It helps pay and keep it running. Bathrooms are nearby in the parking lot Bring small change cash. They do take CC when it's working. Have fun!! read more

Balboa Park although touristy is a place that's still frequented by local traffic as well. A major draw for children is its historic carousel. When I visited the park in the Spring I did not realize it had its own check in. You might find it interesting to learn the origins of carousels date back at least 900 years. They are descended from war games devised by Turkish and Arabian horsemen in the 12th century. These games were carried to France by Crusaders in the 13th century and then to England and on to North America in the late 1800s. In 1910 Herschell-Spillman menagerie carousel in San Diego was made in New York, and shipped to Los Angeles, California. In 1915, the carousel was displayed at the summer resort before being moved up to Balboa Park around 1922. Everything on the carousel is original including the animals on the carousel, as are the hand-painted murals, the band organ and the brass ring game! There are only 12 known remaining operating brass ring games on carousels in North America, where once there were thousands. The cats tails my girls rode were originally designed to face down (but were modified for their safety) and all of the hair on the animal tails is real! I found it fascinating to learn the Carousel is still powered by the original General Electric motor that was installed in 1910 when the Carousel was built. Also a little known fact- it does not touch the ground! At $3 a pop you can't beat the memories of a different era. [Thanks to SJ for the background for this detailed review] read more

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Located at the San Diego zoo you will see the carousel at the left hand side when you enter the parking. $3 per person (regardless of age) for the carousel and they have a tiny ride at the side which is only for children ages 2-7 which they rode on their own. Look out for the rings but you will need to sit on one of the non-moving horses to access it. Carousel ride is actually pretty long and they play fun music like Indiana Jones. Can combine with a train ride for a fun outing for littles! read more

The Balboa Park Carousel is magical. There are not many authentic carousels -- especially a Menagerie model -- left from the turn of the 20th century.  San Diego is fortunate to have one of them ... this is it! The Carousel has 12 moving horses, 15 standing horses, 25 menagerie animals, and 3 chariots.  It dates from 1910 and has been Balboa Park since 1922.  Almost all of the Carousel is original, albeit restored in painstaking detail. The ride is five minutes long.  One of my favorite parts of the ride -- and a reminder of my childhood -- is reaching for the brass ring on the final round. read more

A relic from over 100 years ago, this carousel is a great diversion from the sun and heat of the San Diego sun. One of, it not the very fastest carousels, I have ever seen, this addition to Balboa Park is a treasure. My daughter went on this same ride 6 times during our trip and loved every minute. A true piece of history and one that should be enjoyed by old and young alike. Enjoy the history and the music with long rides and restored animal seats. read more

Balboa Park Carousel - Carousels Near Me - San Diego, California

This Carousel is awesome! My son loved it! The time for one ride is very reasonable, doesn't end fast and it even goes a little fast which my son really enjoyed! read more

Balboa Park Carousel - Carousels Near Me - San Diego, California

I knew this was here, but I don't know why I hadn't come with my kids previously. My 2 year old had his first taste of a carousel at Belmont Park and would not stop talking about it and asking every day if we could go back. My 3 year old already knew he loved carousels and latched on to the idea so I had 2 kids who were asking to go on the carousel nonstop. They finally got their wish on a Saturday afternoon, and we decided to come here to check this carousel out. There was no line to purchase tickets and we purchased enough for us to take 2 rides. We wound up going back to buy more tickets in order to ride the mini swings ride. It was a bit pricey. I like that at Belmont Park parents don't need tickets to accompany their toddlers and wished it was like that here. If they could ride on their own, they would, and I am clearly not on the ride for my personal enjoyment. This carousel is fast! I learned after we rode it that it goes to 13 MPH and it lasts soooo long, I can't remember but 3-5 minutes using an egg timer. You certainly get your money's worth, thankfully. If you don't love spinning rides (me!!!) this is especially not enjoyable 2x in a row haha. We came again for National Carousel Day so we could take advantage of a free ride and it was great. The staff did awesome handling the large crowd. I do love the history of this carousel. I love knowing it is so old and fairly all original. It is pretty cool and also helps make the price worth it. There is parking on either side of the carousel. Overall, a pretty great and fun experience, especially when you are 2 and 3 years old. read more

This 100 year old carousel is beautiful!! Rides are a very reasonable $3 each and they go for a pretty long time. Definitely worth it, my 3 year old daughter loved it! read more

This place is dope. We have balboa passes for the museums, and always end it with the Carousel. The kids love it! The staff are super cool and friendly. The ride is pretty long too! Pull up if you have kids you'll have a fun time! read more

Thought this would be a great place for this replica to be noticed. Balboa Park Carousel Egg @ Natural History Museum Such exquisite intricate design replicating the beloved Balboa park carousel. I hold in high admiration the dedication and time (18 years to be exact) it takes to create something so beautiful and lasting. Just wish the music could be played for all to hear. Hopefully you will love this piece as much as I do. Created by Jim Grahl in 2007. Made with; diamond, ruby, gold, platinum, silver, mother of pearl, glass, stainless steel and wood. There are 56 hand carved animals that depict the actual one on the carousel. This enameled egg can be found on the top floor of the Natural History museum. So after you ride the real carousel, go and see this beautiful egg. read more

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I was at Balboa Park and decided to walk around a little bit to look around. Towards the zoo, I came across the Balboa Park Carousel and decided to go on it with the other people in my party. The carousel itself is large and has the capacity to hold 56 people. The actual seats are made up of a variety Habs-crafted and beautifully hand painted animals. The animals includes horses, dogs, lions, tigers, giraffes and zebras. I actually got a spot on one the two zebras! The animals on the inside of the carousel go up and down, but the ones on the outside part do not. I've heard if you are on the outside you get to throw brass rings at a clown to win a free ride or a prize. It is one of the last carousels in the world to still offer this. While you go around fun carousel music plays. The carousel does not go too fast, but it reaches a nice speed. Also, it costs $3 per person or you can get 4 rides for $10. Altogether, the Balboa Park Carousel is a great place to stop off at and have some fun in San Diego! read more

Our 3-year old absolutely loved this ride! and it's only $3 a ticket! Adds a nice touch of yesteryear charm to an already unique and beautiful park. 4.5/5 read more

Balboa park carousel is a fun old fashioned type merry-go-round. It is located in Balboa Park. Great for kids and adults. Rides are three dollars, but $10 for four people. It wasn't very busy today so they gave us an extra long ride which my children enjoyed. My son rode on an ostrich, my daughter road on a dog. Super friendly service. Would definitely recommend if you're at Balboa Park! read more

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Checked out this carousel after a trip to the zoo with my toddler. She loved it! We thought we might have to sit on a horse with her but were able to strap her to her own horse. My husband and I rode with her (on our own horses) and all had fun. If memory serves correctly you have to have cash to buy the coins/tickets. We normally do not have cash on us but we got really lucky that we had some on that day. My husband was super stoked there was Star Wars music as part of the carousel music. read more

Definitely a cool place to come check out if you're in the area. Located near the Zoo entrance. It's $3 to ride the carousel. And if you're bringing a little one and need to get on with them, you would have to pay the $3 ticket as well (I don't think the one at the Seaport Village charged). The carousel itself runs pretty fast if you asked me. But I actually like it faster. They played the Star Wars theme music while I was on it, which made it even more fun. The animals that are located at the end don't go up and down, just a heads up. read more

This carousel is awesome! One of the last carousels that still has a brass ring game. So much fun, just so you know you need to grab the golden ring the rusty looking ones are no good. There's only one brass (golden color) and the person who gets that one wins I would definitely recommend going on this carousel it's part of history! read more

Been taking my kids here for years and finally got to writing a review for this place after December nights happened because we stopped here again for a little go-round before going home. I like that this is fairly inexpensive compared to other carousels and I love the different animals and options for our kids to decide which to ride on. For $2.50 a person, I allow my kids to go on this as many times as they want! read more

This Herschell-Spillman Co. made 'Carouselle' had its own history of making it around. Made in New York, shipped to Los Angeles, making its way down to Coronado and eventually taking up permanent residence in Balboa Park in 1922. The handcarved horses, donkeys, ostriches, roosters, frogs, camel, lion, tiger, goat, dragon, reindeer, stork, camel, giraffe, pigs, dogs, cats, sleigh, and rocking carriage that take us round and round at 13mph are the same as the ones originally presented in the early 1900's. The hand-painted murals are also original. The owners and operators did a wonderful job in the preservation and restoration of this antique wooden carousel. The pluses of this carousel versus those at Belmont Park, Seaport Village, San Diego Zoo Safari Park, and Parkway Plaza? Well,... - Parking is on adjacent sides of the carousel, separate from the zoo parking lot, and just steps away. Therefore, it allows for a closer walk and much ease in finding a spot. -Very close to other San Diego attractions, such as the San Diego Zoo, the Balboa Park Miniature Railroad, the Spanish Village Artist Studios, museums, and of course the park. -Not expensive at only $2.75 per ticket for those ages 1-100. Inexpensive enough to add this ride as a supplement to your Day Out with the family. As I did for my review on the Balboa Park Miniature Railroad, I docked off one star for much needed improvements. Might I suggest having a few fair-like food vendors around to attract more visitors? Even one would suffice. Also, the other Airplane ride in the area and the Ticket booth can use an upgrade or at least some fresh paint. I might also suggest moving the history display closer to the Ticket booth for more people to see. I didn't even know it existed, until I took a walk around the carousel, a back area in which people rarely go. Lastly, posting more pictures may spark more interest. Aren't you considered part of Balboa Park, in which stands the Museum of Photographic Arts? Surely, they have more historical photos of this carousel that you can post. My favorite thing about this ride though is competing with others for that brass ring, which entitles you to a free ride. It's just the thrill of winning for me. Hey, please don't judge because I always give my free ticket away. :) read more

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This carousel always seemed to be closed when I was a kid. My pops would tell me that it was haunted, which of course made me think it was some awesome murder arena. MAXXXIMUM MURDER ARENA!!! Now, thanks to a long renovation, the carousel is running at top speed every weekend for at least 4 minutes a turn. Children of all ages have the opportunity to relive (or finally live out) those fantastically fun-filled fantasies they had riding a menagerie of seemingly randomly placed animals. Last time I was there, I rode a cat. A CAT. It's also one of the few carousels around that still offers the brass ring special! The last time I was there a little kid freaked out when he snagged the ring. It was cute, in a special way. Protip: The fun factor is raised exponentially relative to the number of disproportionately made Irish Car-bombs. read more

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Round and round you go.... Did you pick a horse or a chicken, did you ride a cat or the carriage, did you go up and down. Did you get the brass ring? Adventures galore when you ride the BPC. I think this is only the 2nd time I have ridden the carousel in my 12 years in San Diego. Guess when the first time is, oh..when we Ruined the Holidays several years ago with fellow Yelpers! We did not drink heavily before this ride because no one wants suddenly getting dizzy and destroying children's fantasy about the Carousel. However, we did enjoy taking video and pictures while riding safely. Since I rode a horse, I used that strap wisely. Next time I need to wear my boots and cowboy hat and pretend I am on the range! Overall, fun for all ages as long as you are not the type to get dizzy going around in circles. The speed is not too fast but accelerates a bit. All you need is cotton candy. And if you are not good with going around, go ahead and take the Miniature railroad! And you wish that it would never end... read more

In 1994 the Balboa Park carousel won the NCA Historic Carousel Award in recognition of it's historic significance, quality, maintenance, regular schedule of operation and the community support. Our carousel continues to be available to the public as an operating machine. It is located adjacent to the San Diego Zoo. The carousel is a Herschell-Spillman menagerie model built in 1910. It is one of the few that remain in operation. It was originally built for Los Angeles' Luna Park, then moved to Coronado's Tent City and various locations within Balboa Park before finally settling at its current location along Park Boulevard. Except for two animals it is original as are the hand-painted murals surrounding the upper portion of the carousel and the military band music. Take the kids down to see this wonder. Let them ride and try their chance at getting the brass ring. This carousel is one of the few in the world still offering the brass ring game for everyone taking the 5-minute ride. Your child will have a great story to tell if the brass ring can be there own. read more

Balboa Park Carousel - 1910 Herschell/Spillman, - Carousels Near Me - San Diego, California

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Such a fun carousel to ride! The artwork on the carousel and the animals is beautiful. The music is classic carousel music, which really adds to the fun. If you sit on one of the outside non-moveable animals you can play their brass ring game in hopes of winning a free ride on the carousel. A lot of fun, and it's only $3 a ticket! A timeless attraction and something that brings out the kid in everyone. It was beautifully made and has been a constant fun attraction in Balboa Park since 1922. read more

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:-) Faster. FASTER. FASTER! What a great experience to have with your children..... A Merry-Go-Round... A Carousel! $2/rider. Cash Only. Approximately 4minutes a ride -- damn did that carousel move! We bought two tickets for our boys (5yr old and our 2.5yr old) thinking we'd strap them into the sleigh ride seats... Turns out we needed to have an adult accompany our 2.5yr old, which made sense. But yikes! With no ATM in site (they don't accept credit cards) I was split! "Who Shall Ride the Carousel?" I felt like Meryl Streep in "Sophies Choice." And I needed to be slapped like Faye Dunaway in "China Town." Where's my CASH?!!! Immediately our young Carousel Host Joshua says to me: "No worries!" and lets me ride gratis. WOW! I'd tip him if I didn't just spend all my cash! DAMN! As "daddy" rode with the boys, "papa" sat outside and gave them someone to wave to! I will definitely return to this Carousel next weekend. I need to give Joshua $$ and tip. A good deed goes along way and comes back to you many fold--pay it forward people. How can you NOT feel the Holiday Spirit? Thank you Joshua, and THANK YOU Balboa Park San Diego for this wonderful and archaic ride. It even had the ring grab, something I hope my children's children can experience someday! 5 WOOFS to Joshua and the Balboa Park Carousel! read more

Balboa Park Carousel - view from the parking lot. - Carousels Near Me - San Diego, California

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Me and my Steampunk friends have been touring all the carousels of San Diego over the past year. We infamously got kicked out of the one in the mall in Carlsbad because they didn't like our costumes I guess. When I wrote about that for the San Diego Reader, it was the shot heard round the world and then I got to write the cover on Steampunk for a June 2014 issue! Here is the link if you want to read it. http://www.sandiegoreader.com/news/2014/jun/25/cover-steampunk-junction/ This carousel, whilst beautiful, was WAY too fast for me! And I love roller coasters! But I don't love spin and puke rides...which is what this almost became for me. Everyone said it was a lot faster than others we had ridden, so I'm not making it up. But I have heard it's the oldest carousel in SD. Early 1900's. Very beautiful. Still a lovely day and a fun thing to do, with a bit of a picnic after on the grass. read more

Balboa Park Carousel - Steampunks doing the Victorian thing, riding on a carousel! - Carousels Near Me - San Diego, California

We love this place. It's become our annual hook up spot among friends for "Wreck the Holidays". Or, "ruining the holidays". I can't remember, I'm hungover. Anyway, we do this as a group every year - if possible. Think we missed one but vowed to never miss another. Idea is to get a few drinks down, hop on the carousel, act like idiots then, get on.the miniature train and act like children. Pretty much just be ourselves but with an excuse this one day of the year. It's vintage and everybody knows vintage is always the new thing to do. Even if it's not new... I'm just rambling on cause I'm hungover. Whatevs... it's fun and for us, it's a tradition. Who knows where we end up after this. One year we cabbed it over to Hotel del Coronado for ice skating and more drinks. Try it out and support the nostalgia of childhood and all things fresh and different. read more

This is an old antique carousel that is located near the zoo and Spanish Village in Balboa Park. I love the nostalgia that emanates from this carousel, it has been here so long, and so many people have so many good memories from childhood. I was glad to find out that is has been acquired by a preservation organization. I love the custom made building that houses the carousel, too. Hours of operation are a bit confusing, and internet info is inaccurate/outdated. Check the Friends of San Diego website for hours of operation. read more

August 31, 2013 Beautiful and VINTAGE!! Located right next to the San Diego ZOO and less than a quarter mile from the miniature railroad. You MUST sit and look at every piece. Each piece of horse, frog, zebra, rooster....they are all unique. If you look carefully a the sign at one of the pillars...you can play the brass ring and receive a free RIDE! I thought it was there for nothing, but it's not! You can actually play it! Whee....how exciting! All you have to do is pay a small $2.50 per ride. I can say that it's literally a dollar per minute. Music just makes you all giddy inside. I wanted to hear the IMPERIAL MARCH from Star Wars that most people on yelp were talking about, but it didn't come up. Waaaah NEXT TIME! read more

This beautiful historic carousel has been lovingly restored and operates in a traditional manner by folks who appear to be passionate about it. It's a unique carousel with three rows of animals, the innermost two elevated higher than the outer row. It features all sorts of interesting hand-carved animals as well. The band organ sounds great and provides a perfect backdrop of sound. One of the best things about is that guests can still reach for the brass ring. It's affordable and a small, antique kiddie ride operates next to it as well. The operating hours are not extensive, closing at 5 p.m. even on summer weekends. Be cautious not to visit too close to the closing time as the rides with the rings can end about 30 minutes earlier and they start closing things down pretty quick, read more

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A great time for all ages. Grab the brass ring and win a free ride. An antique carousel in Balboa Park. Stop by on a sunny afternoon and a enjoy a glimpse of days gone by. read more

Balboa Park Carousel - A great time for young and old alike!!! - Carousels Near Me - San Diego, California

What a beautiful part of Balboa Park and San Diego history! Just visited for a quick ride this past weekend with our 4-year old, and it is such a sweet visit alongside a picnic lunch nearby or the zoo. Currently $3 each, it is worth the memories. I have never seen a line, and if there were, I would gander it goes quickly. Always surprises me that this attraction is a hidden gem! You can read this and more on the sign, but a few cool details: it has the original paper organ that still plays (which is very unique), the animals were carved in early 1900s, and it goes up to 13 mph (my 4 y/o loved this, the 1 y/o version of her did NOT). Choose your animal, and have fun! read more

Next to our parking lot at Balboa Park, we saw this carousel and my cousin's kids wouldn't leave until they rode it. The carousel was a classic and beautiful. The kids had a blast riding it! 5 stars for the friendly service, very cheap price, and decent ride time (at least 5 mins). A great ride for both kids and adults! read more

Such a cute little carrousel that they basically have year around... Our baby girl was a little too small to get on it and it was such a cool thing to go experience and see! read more