The Stoner Carousel
A True Masterpiece From Rocky Springs Park
 
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The Stoner Carousel A True Masterpiece From Rocky Springs Park From 1901 to 1983, the carousel was the centerpiece of Lancaster’s Rocky Springs Amusement Park, providing magic and memories for Lancasterians young and old. And, the carousel was the place where local couples met and courted. For generations, it was the source for countless fond memories of whirling dizzily through space, laughing happily and reaching for the elusive brass ring in hopes of winning a free ride. The carousel was crafted in 1901 in the Germantown, Pennsylvania shop of Gustav Dentzel, a master carver famed for his elaborately wrought animals, and regarded by many as the best carver of carousel animals in the United States. The Stoner carousel, one of only two-dozen Dentzel carousels remaining, is acknowledged as one of the oldest and finest. Dentzel was so proud of this carousel that he frequently sent prospective buyers to Lancaster to see firsthand his masterpiece. In 1924, the carousel returned to the Dentzel factory to be updated with a jumping mechanism, allowing many of the animals to go up and down as the carousel revolved. Riders found this to be a more realistic and exciting experience. The refurbished machine, complete with jumping animals and elaborately carved ornaments, arrived back at Rocky Springs park in time for the opening of the 1925 season. Twenty-six feet tall and fifty-five feet in diameter, the carousel boasts 48 hand-carved wooden animals: 33 magnificent horses (25 jumpers and 8 standers), two spectacular benches, and 15 very rare menagerie animals, including 2 dogs, 1 giraffe, 1 zebra, 1lion, 1 tiger, 1 goat, 2 mules, 4 ostriches, 1 rooster, and 1 jumping deer. The carousel is both a feast for the eyes and a treat for the ears. The vibrant sounds of the 1901 Gavioli band organ fill the heart and enrich the soul. To ride the carousel is to forget your problems and enjoy life. The Rocky Springs Carousel Association, with the help of local citizens, has been able to purchase the old Rocky Springs Carousel, which had been moved to Dollywood, and return it to Lancaster. This magnificent 1901 Dentzel-made carousel was renamed the Stoner Carousel in tribute to the Stoner family of Quarryville, whose generous contribution completed the purchase. The Association is actively involved in restoring the carousel and finding a home for it in downtown Lancaster so that future generations can experience its magic.
 
 
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