One compelling exhibit shows how carousel horses were crafted and painted, while there’s a working Wurlitzer organ and an indoor carousel for rides. Did you know that the ride started out not as an amusement but as a training device for horseback soldiers? I was riveted learning about the history of the carousel. The museum holds many masterfully rendered horses, as well as lions, tigers, ducks, cows, giraffes and pigs.
In a capacious old factory I was dazzled by this wonderfully presented array of vintage carousel memorabilia. New England Carousel Museum Source: Roller Coaster Philosophy / Flickr New England Carousel Museum Let’s explore the best things to do in Bristol: 1. Old meets new at this 21st-century attraction, with high-tech white-knuckle rides alongside historical curiosities like one of America’s oldest carousels. Lake Compounce, the longest-operating amusement park in the United States, is another of my favorite things about this place. There you can discover how inventor Eli Terry introduced mass production to the clock-making process, making timepieces affordable for all. That horological heritage is recorded at the American Clock & Watch Museum. Today Bristol is known as the home of ESPN, while in the 19th and early 20th centuries the city was a manufacturing hotbed, and leader in clock-making and doorbells. Southwest of Hartford, Bristol is a city with a reputation that belies its size.
