Restoring Idlewild's Carousel: a 93-year-old piece of art, history and memories

By: Mark Frazee | Content Manager - Pittsburgh HUB

Rollo Coaster. Story Book Forest. SoakZone. All iconic Idlewild areas and attractions, yes - but none of them come as close to being as recognizable as our beloved Carousel. At 93 years old, the fan-favorite family ride has certainly seen a lot of riders over the years, resulting in some wear-and-tear. For the last several years, a lot of you have asked us about a potential refurbishment for the iconic Carousel - and you know what? We agree that now's the time! On this 412 Day where we celebrate all things Pittsburgh (even if they're in the 724!), we're excited to share that the Carousel has entered a multi-year refurbishment project - led by Ed Ostroski, our Park Artist with 46 years of Idlewild experience - to restore the ride with a beautiful pop of color.

From Atlantic City to Idlewild Park

Our Carousel has bragging rights as the first ride added to Idlewild by the Macdonald family, who owned and operated Idlewild for approximately 50 years before we joined the Kennywood family in the 1980s. This Carousel, manufactured by the Philadelphia Toboggan Company, first opened at Idlewild in 1931, though it spent the first year of its life out east on the Jersey Shore.

The beautiful ride was built during the Great Depression, when it was sent to the Atlantic City Boardwalk for a 1930 opening. It would spend only that one season on the east coast before arriving to Idlewild in 1931, replacing the older carousel under the same familiar structure that protects the ride from the elements today. It has operated there ever since. It was completely restored in the 1980s by three talented artists, including Ostroski. Roughly 40 years later, Ostroski is excited to lead the Carousel's next refurbishment project to once again restore the ride's natural beauty.

A New Restoration

For the past four months, Ostroski has been hard at work on many of the ride's 48 horses in his small shop at the far side of Story Book Forest. Each horse gets the love and attention it deserves.

"Right now, I'm working to redo as many of the Carousel horses as I can. We did them in the 1980s, and its been that long since we've done them. They're really in need of some work."

The horses will look brighter and fresher, but Ostroski says it's important for the nostalgia to remain.

"I'm trying to keep them as close to our original redo as possible. I've only changed some of the colors just a little bit."

With Ostroski painting all the horses as a one-man show, this project certainly isn't a quick one. Ostroksi says each horse takes about 5-7 days from start to finish, and he can't work on more than two or three at a time. Attention to detail is critical.  That means that when Idlewild opens for the 2023 Season, some of the horses won't be finished quite yet. Ostroski is working from the inside out, meaning the horses closest to the center of the ride will be finished first. Don't be surprised if a few disappear here and there throughout the season, either! Ostroski says he's almost finished 20 at this point, nearly reaching the project's midpoint.

A Timeless Classic 

While some horses have needed some minor carpentry repairs - perhaps a hoof or two have gone missing - Ostroski says he's surprised as just how good of condition the horses are in after all these years.

"Right at this moment, these horses are at least 90 years old. And it's surprising - even though they get all this wear-and-tear, they're still in such good shape. You can see all the details that were carved in them, it's all still there.  I strip the paint off and the wood looks perfect, like the day it was carved."

It's kind of fitting, isn't it? These horses were built during the Great Depression. They made it to the Jersey Shore and back. And they've spent 92 years providing unforgettable memories at Idlewild - from our youngest guests of all to our oldest guests of all. Everyone that comes to Idlewild has a happy memory of the Carousel, which has seen a lot of use over the years - or as we think of it, a lot of love. Such a beloved piece of art, history and memories certainly deserves a new restoration to make the beautiful ride even more beautiful.

"It was built well. It really was," Ostroski says. "When I think about it - it's over 90 years old. And how many rides do we have anywhere that are that old that are made out of wood?"

Experts and enthusiasts alike will tell you that modern carousels just aren't the same as these historic classics. 

"It's a shame that so many parks did away with horses like these," Ostroski adds. "There're aren't that many anymore."

The Carousel has been there for people as a pilar of the past in a world that changes so fast. Yes, it's sad that old-school carousels like ours have become increasingly rare. But that also makes ours that much more special. To still be riding on such an iconic ride after all this time - it just creates a warm and fuzzy feeling that's hard to describe. We hope all this refurbishment project will make those warm and fuzzy rides even more warm and fuzzy for another 93 years and beyond.

Enjoy everything that's new at Idlewild in 2023, including the refurbished Carousel and Loyalhanna Limited Railroad, with a Season Pass! On sale now for 4 easy payments starting at just $23 each.