Experience an 106-year-old twirling work of art and artistry!Located in Carousel Park and operated by the Hampton History Museum, the former Buckroe Beach carousel is one of the City of Hampton’s most treasured historic assets. Built in 1920, the carousel is completely restored to its original beauty and housed in its own weather-protected pavilion at Carousel Park on the city’s downtown waterfront. It is one of only 70 antique wooden merry-go-rounds still existing in the U.S. Hand crafted by the Philadelphia Toboggan Company for the Buckroe Beach Amusement Park, Hampton's Carousel is a whirling tribute to the skill of its creators.  After untold numbers of young and old enjoyed the carousel over its 65-year tenure, it was put in storage with the closure of Buckroe Beach Amusement Park in the mid-1980s. It was moved and restored at its current location in Carousel Park on Settlers Landing Road in Downtown Hampton in 1991.  It still boasts its original mirrors and oil paintings, as well as 48 intricately decorated horses.  Rising and falling to the strains of the original band organ, many of these carousel horses are so finely carved that the veins in their necks and legs are visible. Special hours are available for groups or special occasions. The carousel will close for the winter on December 31, 2026, and reopen in April 1, 2027. The Hampton Carousel is located at 602 Settlers Landing Rd, in Downtown Hampton. Regular hours of operation: Tuesday-Sunday, 11:00 a.m.-8:00 p.m., closed Mondays. Rider fees are $1.00 per ride. Tickets on sale at the Hampton History Museum and at the Hampton Carousel. For more information, call the Hampton Visitor Center at 757-727-1102. History of the Historic Carousel  A Rare Treasure Hampton's restored 1920 merry-go-round has drawn thousands of visitors to the downtown Hampton waterfront. One of less than 70 antique wooden carousels remaining in the United States, and one of only a few to remain in the city for which they were built, the Hampton Carousel is a rare and beautiful example of American folk art. A Rotating Work of Art Only one of the 75 carousels built by the Philadelphia Toboggan Company, Hampton's carousel was identified as Number 50 (the number is stamped on its center pole) when first constructed in Germantown, Penn. This alluring machine was built at the end of the Golden Age of Carousels in America, during which skilled craftsmen hand-carved realistic and sometimes highly imaginative animals and decorative pieces. Buckroe Amusement Park The carousel was originally installed at the Buckroe Amusement Park, located at the site of today's Buckroe Beach Park on the Chesapeake Bay. Other attractions at the beachfront park included a roller coaster, train, bumper cars and animal exhibits. The End of an Era The carousel was maintained intact and operated each summer from 1920 to 1985, delighting generations of Hampton residents and vacationers. When the amusement park ceased operating, it was dismantled and placed in storage until renovation could begin. New Life Following the closure of Buckroe Amusement Park, a group called Friends of the Carousel collected generous contributions for the ride's preservation. In 1988, it was packed into tractor trailer trucks and shipped to R & F Design in Bristol, Conn., where it was restored. Three years later, the carousel was returned and reassembled in the enclosed pavilion at 602 Settlers Landing Road in downtown Hampton. Reopened for visitors on June 20, 1991, the Carousel was added to the National Register of Historic Places the following year.  Preserving History The Hampton History Museum cares for the carousel's original forty-two oil paintings, thirty mirrors, a Bruder Band Organ, forty-eight hand-carved wooden horses and two hand-carved wooden chariots. The prancing steeds and stately chariots were painstakingly carved from fine-grained hardwood by master carvers Frank Carretta and Daniel C. Muller, then painted by European artisans. The carousel is a whirling tribute to its creators; its intricately decorated horses are so finely carved that the veins in their necks and legs are visible. They festively rise and fall to the strains of music from the original organ.