Behold the star attraction of the north end of Brooklyn Bridge Park: a vintage carousel built by the Philadelphia Toboggan Company back in 1922. In 1984 it was purchased by Dumbo artist Jane Walentas, who spent the next two decades faithfully restoring the vintage paint scheme on the ornate, carved-wood elements before the carousel took up its current plum spot beneath New York's two most photographed bridges.
The carousel has 48 horses, two chariots and 1200 lights, and is the first of its kind to be placed on the National Register of Historic Places. The working treasure is housed in a clear acrylic pavilion designed by Pritzker Prize–winning architect Jean Nouvel.
