Merry-go-round is a popular children’s ride at amusement parks, carnivals, and theme parks. The ride is also called a carrousel (also spelled carousel). A merry-go-round basically consists of brightly painted horses and other animals mounted on a circular platform. Benches that resemble chariots may also be mounted on the platform. Riders sit on the animals and benches. A motor causes the platform to revolve. Some animals are attached to poles that move up and down as the ride moves. On most merry-go-rounds, a mechanical organ plays music while the ride is in motion.
The merry-go-round is the oldest amusement ride still in use. The term merry-go-round first appeared as early as 1729 in a poem in an English newspaper. The first known American merry-go-round was operated in Salem, Mass., in 1799.
