Did you know that today is National Carousel Day? I didn’t, until I saw that the St. Louis Carousel in Chesterfield’s Faust Park was offering free rides today in honor of the event!

St. Louis has plenty of carousels…mall merry-go-rounds, outdoor carousels at places like Grant’s Farm and the St. Louis Zoo, and even a carousel over a century old at Six Flags,  but none of them has a history like the St. Louis Carousel. Consisting of 60 horses and four antlered deer (as well as a few benches), it was built in the 1920s, and was originally installed at the long-defunct St. Louis Highlands Amusement Park. A fire destroyed the park in 1963, but the carousel was spared, and moved to Sylvan Springs Park. Eventually in the 1980s, it was restored and moved to Faust Park, where it operates today, rain or shine, except on Mondays. It normally costs two dollars to ride, which is probably why we hadn’t visited before this summer, but from what I can tell, the ride is both longer and faster (a real thrill, especially for smaller children like Chickadee), than any of the other carousels in the area, so it’s not a bad deal!

Faust Park is a great place to spend a day with children. In addition to the carousel, there’s a historic village, a butterfly house, and a fun playground. And since the carousel is in a climate-controlled building, it’s a great place to take a break on a hot summer day!