Tricia B.

This museum is positively magical - the first look into the main room is priceless because it's so beautiful. I suspect the staff gets a kick out of it too. There first floor is full of carousel horses and other assorted animals, a kids room area, and a real, working carousel with a working calliope in the same room. Why they put the calliope next to the horse labeled as haunted, I can't tell you but I would assume it's not caused any difficulties. Each horse is beautiful, and you could spend hours there just studying their individual designs. Upstairs has a ballroom, fire museum, Hellenic museum, and restoration room. It is a place with something for everyone - the carousel lion in the Greek ruins helps tie things perfectly together :-)

Dan R.

"Riding along on a carousel, trying to catch up to you Riding along on a carousel, will I catch up to you?" (The Hollies -On a Carousel) FIVE STARS ALL THE WAY !!!! Sometimes we tend to overlook the wonderful opportunities we have all around us. So listen carefully, if you live within a reasonable distance to Bristol, CT, and you haven't yet visited the New England Carousel Museum, you have really done a disservice to yourself and your family. The deluge of art and talent and color and beauty displayed in their carved carousel animals is simply amazing. I said animals instead of horses, because although you'll see dozens of gorgeous carousel horses, you'll also see some pretty extraordinarily representatives of other species from the animal kingdom. Wanna see a carousel elephant, lion, egret, bunny, pig, giraffe, camel, chicken, cow, deer, tiger, or giraffe? The NECM has got you covered, because you'll see them all here, and each one is more gorgeously decorated than the other. The museum has dedicated itself to "the acquisition, restoration, and preservation of operating carousels and carousel memorabilia and the creation of new carousel material, for the education and pleasure of the general public". They sure have done a great job. Their collection of over 100 carousel animals is nothing short of wonderful. Some of the animals are over 100 years old, and the museum will teach you about their history and the various carving techniques used to create these masterpieces. Of course they have a carousel for you to ride on. Your ride is free with the very modest $8 admission fee. Upstairs, there is a big open space they rent out for weddings or special events. Also upstairs is a very cool Museum of Fire History with all sorts of fire station signaling equipment, alarms, bells, memorabilia and photos. They had a big 9/11 display with a flag that listed the names of the First Responders, and the iconic photo of three NYC firefighters raising the flag over the WTC rubble. What a photo....... We loved our visit, and if you haven't been there yet, go and correct that situation ASAP.

Melissa I.

I had such a fun time here! The staff was beyond friendly and had such a wealth of knowledge! I loved looking at all the 100+ horses and other animals they had. I liked earlier about the history, looking in the binders they had available about each horse or animal that had on view. My husband and I were a little too big to ride their kids' carousel but that's okay. It's just so beautiful to look at everything. The only downside (which is totally on me) is that I didn't have my wedding here... that would be have been amazing. I would HIGHLY recommend this place and considering I saw someone else's review who stated that they added a lot more things... I would check this place out again for sure.

Susan R.

This museum was far more interesting than I expected. It was interesting to learn the history of the carousel and learn how they were made. There is so much to see here and so many unexpected items. Upstairs is the Firehouse Museum which is equally interesting and included in your museum admission. Did you know there is an upstairs banquet room available for large parties or weddings? Today they were prepared for a party of 250 people and the set up was beautiful. Your $6 admission price includes a free ride on the small indoor carousel.

Jess L.

This museum is truly remarkable. You will never see a collection like this anywhere else. Not only is it beautiful, but the curators did a great job telling a story about the history of each individual piece and the history of carousels in general. This museum is well suited for adults and kids, which I think is a winning combination. The museum even has a real, functioning carousel in it! Interestingly - and a little strangely - the Carousel Museum also houses the Museum of Fire History. Although it is much smaller than the carousel part of the space, there are some very interesting fire department and firehouse memorabilia on display, including real ladders. At $6/adult admission, I think this spot is a great bang for your buck and a hidden gem. Definitely worth checking out.

Janelle P.

I was looking for something to do locally with my kids and found this on a groupon for a really good price. It was well worth it and I didn't realize there was so much to know about carousel and the original use of them is so interesting. They had tons of pieces and my favorite part was seeing how they were originally put together and painted. Who knew!! It was really neat to see all the variations and to think that it wasn't just horses! I'm telling you that you have to go here. They also have the fire museum upstairs and they opened up the area just for us to see. Also they have a small Greek museum as well. It was so fascinating and seeing the history of Bristol with original pictures. The entire experience was well worth it , I was really happy to share the history with my kids!

Kevin J.

Wife loved this place. The history, the colors, the craftsmanship, even the smell brings it all together. It is a really great place to visit. The Groupon price was amazing. Seeing all of the different sizes, types, and craftsmanship was incredible. Definitely worth the visit if you are in the area. Even get to ride one with the old time band playing as well. Worth the visit to see a part of history.

Cheryl C.

This place was a surprisingly fun deviation from our usual routine. I was looking for something to do besides going out to eat and shopping. I thought about museums and historical sites. Little did I know that bestie would choose this gem! He kept it a surprise until we pulled into the parking lot. I had heard about this place but never thought of venturing a look. Upon entering inside I knew it would be an interesting place. It had a vintage feel to it. Elaine, who handles a lot of the events they have there, was our guide. She told us a little about the history and art of animal carousels . We were encouraged to browse and check out the main floor on our own. She did come in at various points and explained about a few of the collections of carousels and chariots and everything from the styles to artists and materials used. I never realized how much went into it. Before we got our guided tour of the upstairs, we were shown the room with the indoor merry go round. Elaine showed us the band organ with the different music scrolls and workings. However, it was a bit cold and the organ didn't want to cooperate. Given the age of it, it gets a little temperamental. Plus care must be taken to not damage it. We sat on the chariot on the carousel and was given a ride. I felt like a kid, transported to a carefree time. It also reminded me of why I don't go on many spinning rides nowadays. My head and body was still feeling it a few minutes afterwards. Once we were stable enough to walk again we were led upstairs. The upstairs was a more open space with some more carousel horses along one wall and the workshop was on the other side with some pieces they were repairing for a client. There was also another area that had the fire museum, and another small section for the Greek exhibit. High upon the cathedral type ceiling hung several beautiful chandeliers. This room is also used for various events. I would definitely recommend you check out this one of a kind experience. I definitely enjoyed it.

Angie N.

This is such a cool place that I got to check out by chance at a Yelp event, and I'm so happy it was held here, because unfortunately I don't think this would have been on my radar otherwise! This museum literally brings you back in time- to both your childhood and throughout the history of the carousel. It houses a range of ornate carousel animals (I had no idea there could be so many different ones) as well as a fully functional carousel that you won be judged for riding as an adult (let's face it, you'd probably get some looks at a fair or on the carousel in the mall- but anyone visiting this museum is going to understand). The staff were all incredibly friendly, knowledgeable, and accommodating. The museum can be rented out for private functions and events and it's a beautiful building. The parking lot is small but there are other lots nearby if needed (probably only needed in the case of a big event, like the Yelp one). It was great to discover the existence of a beautiful museum dedicated to the history of the carousel, I will definitely be back!

Alba C.

It is truly a beauty attendant a birthday party the kids loved it absolutely perfect, seating carousel music, clean, rides, fortune teller at the entrance for 50 cents doesn't really tell the fortune just for show but makes a great picture.