DEV Griffith Park Merry-Go-Round History
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History of the Beloved Griffith Park Merry-Go-Round
In anticipation of restoration set to begin in 2026, we have compiled important milestones and stories connected to the Griffith Park Merry-Go-Round.
We hope this provides you with a better appreciation of the history behind this beloved attraction, as you learn how important the Griffith Park Merry-Go-Round has been to the people of Los Angeles.
The carousel is rare – it’s one of only a few remaining Spillman Engineering 4-Abreast Carousels in North America.
We will update this website as work proceeds to give you a glimpse of the intricate process of bringing the Griffith Park Merry-Go-Round back to life.
Donate to the Restoration Fund!
[photo decription. PHOTO: Credit Here]
Carousels & Merry-Go-Rounds:
A Brief History
“Carousel” comes from the Italian carosello and French carrousel meaning “little battle.” It refers to a mechanism used by 17th century French nobility on horseback to practice various exercises and cavalry skills including catching rings on lances.
By the end of the century, a simplified version was created so riders wouldn’t tire out their steeds. Riders tested their skills on wooden horses suspended from a spinning wheel mounted on top of a central pole.
Later centuries saw traveling carnivals and fairs in Europe incorporate these devices into their repertoire of rides. Eventually, their popularity spread to North America during the 19th century. Overall, the golden age of carousels is considered the 1870s through the early 1930s where animals were hand-carved in wood. Later, aluminum and fiberglass became the standard materials.
The first use of “merry-go-round” was in a 1729 poem by Englishman George Alexander Stevens describing the spinning motion of an attraction at the Bartleme Fair (below).
(more tidbits here… https://southfloridareporter.com/the-earliest-known-use-of-the-term-merry-go-round-is-found-in-a-1729-poem/
excerpt…
Here’s Whittington’s cat, and the tall dromedary,
The chaise without horses, and Queen of Hungary;
The merry-go-rounds, come who rides, come who rides;
Wine, beer, ale, and cakes, fire-eating besides;
The fam’d learned dog that can tell all his letters,
And some men, as scholars, are not much his betters.
[photo decription. PHOTO: Credit Here]
Merry-Go-Rounds in America
In the 1800s, European immigrants, including Charles Looff, brought their love of carousels to America. In 1876, Looff carved and built his first carousel which found a home on Coney Island; he would go on to build more than 45 carousels in his lifetime.
Looff and Charles Carmel, one of Looff’s head carvers, created most of the horses that make up the Griffith Park Merry-Go-Round which was built in 1926 by the Spillman Engineering Corporation. The carousel was commissioned by the Spreckels family and first entertained crowds in Mission Beach Amusement Center – now known as Belmont Park – in San Diego.
In 1937, it was relocated to Griffith Park by the Davis family who was known for operating historic carousels around California. The Davis chose a location down the road from the Griffith Park Zoo (aka the Old Zoo) and created a shaded structure niched into the side of the hill.
The Griffith Park Merry-Go-Round was not the first merry-go-round in this location. A 1911 Herschell-Spillman menagerie, now known as the Tilden Park Carousel, operated a successful season here which, no doubt, set the stage for a permanent attraction.
How fast does the Griffith Park Merry-Go-Round spin?
About 13 mph
The Horses
The Griffith Park Merry-Go-Round features 68 horses in four rows or “four abreast.” Every horse is a jumper which means they move up and down.
Spillman’s designers placed horses meant for a smaller two-row carousel and carved larger ones for the outer rows. Added in were jeweled horses dating back to 1885 which Spillman probably acquired through a trade. The most recent additions were three survivors of the fire at Lincoln Park Carousel in Los Angeles in 1976. The Lincoln Park Carousel was also a Davis carousel until it was destroyed.
The carved and painted horses each have their own personality. Diablo is a black horse with one leg sticking out in back as if he is going to kick you. Hannibal has a stubby unicorn horn guarding his head. Isolde, carved by renowned carver Charles Looff, is a dappled beauty with flowers in her reins. A pure white stallion, Arthur boasts the profile of a lion above his foreleg.
The Griffith Park Merry-Go-Round also boasts two chariots and an elaborate ceiling kit.
Artworks
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[above: Walt Disney at GriffithPark – courtesy of Walt Disney Family Museum]
Popular Culture
Since its installation, the Griffith Park Merry-Go-Round was popular for families and celebrities of the day including “Gone with the Wind” star Olivia de Havilland and Marilyn Monroe who liked to ride it at nighttime.
A young film producer/animator named Walt Disney frequently brought his daughters Diane and Sharon for a ride on the painted horses. Walt tells the story:
The idea for Disneyland came about when my daughters were very young and Saturday was always Daddy’s day with the two daughters. . . and as I’d sit [on a bench] while they rode the merry-go-round . . . I felt that there should be something built where the parents and the children could have fun together. So that’s how Disneyland started. [I]t all started from a daddy with two daughters wondering where he could take them where he could have a little fun with them, too.
How fast does the Griffith Park Merry-Go-Round spin?
About 13 mph
Turbulent Times
On Memorial Day 1961, a group of Black youth jumped on and off the ride without paying, and, taking a cue from the Civil Rights protests of the time, called themselves “Freedom Riders.” Bystanders came to their defense. The owner called the police. Chief William Parker was known for being antagonistic toward the Black community. Responding officers used racial slurs which exacerbated the situation rather than calming things down. The Park was forced to close and it took 75 officers to quell the race riots.
On Memorial Day 1968, the area around the Merry-Go-Round hosted one of the country’s first gay-in rallies, an important milestone for the LGBTQ+ movement a year prior to the Stonewall riots.
Throughout the 1960s, Flower Children would frequently gather around the Merry-Go-Round for Love-Ins where they painted their bodies with flowers, drank alcohol and used drugs. Some interior Merry-Go-Round paintings were vandalized. The Flower Children caused other problems for Park Rangers; for a while families did not feel safe bringing their children to the Merry-Go-Round.
[photo decription. PHOTO: Credit Here]
Donate to the Restoration Fund!
Hollywood Connections
Over the years, the Griffith Park Merry-Go-Round has appeared in numerous films and TV shows. Some of the popular movies include:
Twins (1988)
Teen Witch (1989)
Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1992 feature film)
Face/Off (1997)
Beautiful (2000)
Moving On (2022)
Classic television crime dramas, mystery shows, and action series were shot on location. A partial list includes:
Alias
Barnaby Jones
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Castle
Charlie’s Angels
CSI:NY
House
How I Met Your Mother
Knot’s Landing
MacGyver
Melrose Place
Mission Impossible
The Mentalist
The Mod Squad
The Pretender
Police Woman
Rizzoli & Isles
Over the years, the Griffith Park Merry-Go-Round was also featured in countless ads.
How fast does the Griffith Park Merry-Go-Round spin?
About 13 mph
Merry-Go-Round Music
Serenading riders on the undulating horses are selections played on a Stinson 165 Military Band Organ complete with drums, bells and cymbal crashes. On its decorated façade, animated figures keep time to the music.
Musical tunes – kept on rolls of physical paper – feature classical and traditional selections, marches, waltzes and even songs from popular Disney films.
Just a sampling:
Beer Barrel Polka
California Here I Come
Let a Smile Be Your Umbrella
On the Beautiful Blue Danube
Rudolph the Red-Nose Reindeer
William Tell Overture
Yes! We Have No Bananas
[Stinson Band Organ playing Beer Barrel Polka; video credit Ben Schwartz. ]
Griffith Park Merry-Go-Round Stinson Organ: California Here I Come [1:41]
Griffith Park Merry-Go-Round Stinson Organ: 2 versions of Blue Danube [5:37]
[photo decription. PHOTO: Credit Here]
Ownership Through the Ages
In 1976, business partners Donald Rand and Edward Openshaw took over operations from the Davis Family and gave the attraction new varnishing, painting and wrought iron fencing.
From 1984 to 1985, Warren Deasy and Rosemary West became owners with Openshaw’s brother staying on as a partner to teach the couple how to operate it.
Deasy and West commissioned in 1987 an entirely new 165 scale band organ from Don Stinson to provide traditional music.
The couple lovingly cared for the attraction for decades. One of their notable employees was Julio Gosdinski who emigrated from Peru to the United States when he was 12-years-old. While at John Marshall High School, he started working at the Merry-Go-Round on weekends which would become his life’s calling.
For years, the arrangement was beneficial. Gosdinski was raised by his single mother. Deasy, who never had a son, frequently commented that Gosdinski was the “son he never had.” Deasy appreciated Gosdinski’s love of the merry-go-round, the way he engaged with guests, and his sense of humor.
How fast does the Griffith Park Merry-Go-Round spin?
About 13 mph
[photo decription. PHOTO: Credit Here]
When Deasy died in 2011, he bestowed his interest to Gosdinski. In 2022, Gosdinski’s death – along with the Covid-19 pandemic – closed the ride. It had reopened briefly in 2021, but closed in 2022 because the crown block, the mechanism that makes the merry-go-round go round, broke and needed an expensive repair. Legal ownership status was also an issue.
In August of 2025, the Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks (RAP) approved the purchase of the Merry-Go-Round, one of the few remaining Spillman Engineering 4-Abreast Carousels in North America. In 2026 the Probate Court approved the transfer of ownership to Rec and Parks.
In August of 2026, RAP became the official owner of the Griffith Park Merry-Go-Round.
The Restoration Process
Which company? What are the restoration steps? How will the pieces be moved?
Meticulous restoration efforts will ensure that future decades of Angelenos and visitors can continue to enjoy this charming attraction that is equal parts art and history, a magical ride back in time to the simple joys.
How fast does the Griffith Park Merry-Go-Round spin?
About 13 mph
Be a part of the Griffith Park Merry-Go-Round
Donate to the Restoration Fund!
The Griffith Park Merry-Go-Round has been a joyous part of Angelenos’ lives for decades, offering treasured memories for every rider who has ever hopped onboard for a magical spin. A new chapter is currently being written for future generations to enjoy this charming attraction for years to come. The City of Los Angeles now owns the historic carousel, but the mechanical restoration needs are extensive.
[Top image: Griffith Park Merry-Go-Round, courtesy/credit Kathryn Louyse; Bottom image: Griffith Park Merry-Go-Round previous co-owner Julio Gosdinkski, courtesy/credit Kathryn Louyse. ]
Credits
Photo credits: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Header and Footer photo credit:xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Consultants: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Writer: Brenda Rees
Web design/dev: Zumwinkle.com
Thanks
xxxxxxxxxxxxxFriends of Griffith Park acknowledges the staff of LA Recreation and Parks Department who have allowed us to conduct science work within Griffith Park throughout the years; we are thankful for their support. xxxxxxxx