Griffith Park Merry-Go-Round (videos and info)

Recently, I visited the Griffith Park Merry-Go-Round and I thought it was so delightful that I want to tell everyone about it. It only costs 2 dollars a ride, per person. But you can hang out nearby for free and enjoy the music and the sight of the people enjoying it. It would be a nice place to have a picnic.

I will have pictures ready to share soon, so perhaps I’ll follow up with my personal pics at some point. But I thought I would share some info about it, and some youtube videos.

Here is a description from the Griffith Park Web site:

Griffith Park Merry-Go-Round
Park Center
(323) 665-3051

Hours
Open weekends throughout the year and weekdays during the summer, and over Christmas and Easter vacations, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Description:
Located in Park Center between the Los Angeles Zoo and the Los Feliz park entrance, the Griffith Park Merry-Go-Round has been a Los Angleles family attraction for over five generations. Built in 1926 by the Spillman Engineering Company and brought to Griffith Park in 1937, the Merry-Go-Round boasts 68 horses, everyone a jumper. Each horse is finely carved with jewel-encrusted bridles, detailed draped blankets and decorated with sunflowers and lion's heads. A Stinson 165 Military Band Organ, reputed to be the largest band organ accompanying a carousel on the West Coast, plays over 1500 selections of marches and waltz music.

http://www.laparks.org/dos/parks/griffithpk/mgr.htm

It is much more fantastic in person, but you can watch some videos of the Merry-Go-Round and hear the beautiful music here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=snWrTShcR8g

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5-5skWj4xdw&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5eROL5wltv4&feature=related

On the above Youtube pages, you can read some pretty interesting comments about the organ and how it works, and some history of the Merry-Go-Round.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PquUCSnK0Lo&feature=related

A little blurb about Griffith Park:

Griffith Park

Go to Crystal Springs Road for the train, pony rides, and a 1926 carousel. The Travel Town Museum on Zoo Drive is fun for any kid who loves vehicles; the best picnicking is at the Ferndell entrance.
Los Feliz

The Merry-Go-Round at Griffith Park, California

Today, I went with my parents and my daughter to the Griffith park Merry-Go-Round. It was amazing. I didn't expect to be so blown away by the experience of visiting a carousel. I believe that what made a charming carousel an over-the-top grand experience was the music from the mechanical organ. It appeared to be music from an authentic organ that had a bass drum incorporated somehow in to the mechanical playing. The music was extremely loud but enjoyable because it sounded so good. It's free to go hang out nearby the carousel but it costs $2 to ride it. I think I will plan to have a picnic near the carousel on the grass because then you can enjoy the music for free. It was Saturday at about 2:30 p.m. and it was not overly crowded which was nice. I don't normally do things like this because I don't like crowds and I tend to be a hermit. But I am trying to get out more often for the sake of my daughter. She was so happy to ride that thing. I took a lot of film on my mini-DV recorder, as well as dozens of digital pictures. I will have to update here soon with pictures. I also took a lot of pictures of the unusual and fantastical scrollwork, mythical creatures, paintings, mirrors, and the organ. Next time I go, I want to try to get more pictures of the different horses because some of them had unusual features. There was a sign on the carousel gate that explained how Walt Disney used to take his daughter to the carousel and he loved it so much, he got his idea to start a children's amusement park (a.k.a. Disneyland). The carousel at Disneyland in Anaheim california is inspired by the one in Griffith park because he found an old time carousel with all horses which he restored for Disneyland. There is nothing nicer than an old carousel, I can tell you!

Tonight, I am watching some old "Outer Limits" episodes and resting up from a tiring day. I like old t.v. shows, and I bought these sets of the outer limits because they were 50% off at amazon. They are pretty weird. A bit different than the twilight zone. The outer limits seemed to be more fixated on space and aliens, as well as government plots!