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| Photo by Melanie Speight |
The Flying Horses Carousel is located in the Vineyard town of Oak Bluffs and is the oldest platform carousel in the United States. It was built in the 1870s and originally resided in Coney Island, but was moved to Martha's Vineyard in 1884.
The carousel is housed in a distinctive red wood barn and is one of the few carousels left to include a brass ring for riders to grab as the carousel rotates. My main memory of the Flying Horses is wanting my dad to get the brass ring and win a free ride for me. Since I was the youngest of five kids, I imagine he rode the carousel many times over the years trying to get that ring for all of us.
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| Source: Wikimedia Commons |
The carousel found itself in danger of being dismantled and sold to collectors before being purchased by the Martha's Vineyard Preservation Trust in 1986. It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1987.
If you take a trip to the Vineyard, be sure to take a ride on the Flying Horses.
My A-Z of Martha's Vineyard theme is inspired by my book, The Ghosts of Aquinnah, which is set on the island. Click here for all the info on the book.
