Join the party for the grand re-opening of the Hampton carousel

March 13, 2024 - The long-awaited reopening of Hampton's historic carousel is set for Saturday, March 23.

A ceremony will mark the reopening of the carousel at 11 a.m. To celebrate, there will be free rides all day. Other activities include face painting, make-and-take crafts, and a DJ and dance activities with K'bana Blaq. There will also be several food trucks for those who want to purchase food and drinks.

It's a day of fun for families of all ages, as we celebrate the repair of a Hampton icon, the location of family outings, dates, marriage proposals and other cherished memories.

Built in 1920, the carousel was originally part of the Buckroe Beach Amusement Park. It was disassembled in 1985 when the Buckroe Beach Amusement Park closed and was restored to its original beauty between 1988 and 1991. It is housed in a pavilion on the city's downtown waterfront. It is one of only 170 antique wooden merry-go-rounds still existing in the United States.

It was closed in the summer of 2022 when structural problems were discovered. Carousels and Carvings, an Ohio-based company, was contracted to do the repairs, which included disassembly, fabricating and rebuilding mechanical parts and systems, and reassembling the carousel.

The carousel contains 42 oil paintings, 30 mirrors, a 1914 Bruder band organ, 48 hand-carved wooden horses, and two upholstered, hand-carved wooden chariots. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1992.

The historic carousel is operated by the Hampton History Museum, from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily, but closed on Mondays. Rides are regularly $1. It closes from Jan. 1-March 31 each year but is opening this year a little early.