
DATE: Tuesday, October 7, 1997              TAG: 9710070058

SECTION: DAILY BREAK             PAGE: E3   EDITION: FINAL 

COLUMN: Things to Do 

SOURCE: BY KRYS STEFANSKY, STAFF WRITER 

                                            LENGTH:   67 lines

TAKE A RIDE ON A GREAT CAROUSEL IT'S A SHARED MEMORY WORTH MUCH MORE THAN 50 CENTS

IT'S TRUE. I PAID my money, chose my mount, and went 'round and 'round on the carousel, right beside my daughter.

So I was a little big for the ride - so were all the other grownups spinning around with me.

Is it the horses? The music? The dizzy ride that ends too soon?

I can't put my finger on the fascination of carousels, but I know a great one when I see it.

And the Hampton Carousel is a beauty.

Get over there fast and hop on before it closes for the winter.

We discovered the Hampton merry-go-round when we took my husband's parents to see the local sights. Housed near the breezy Hampton River in an enclosed pavilion, the gorgeous merry-go-round has been restored to its former glory and is a lush treat for the eye. One of the few antique carousels left in the country, this one was built by the Philadelphia Toboggan Company in 1920.

This treasure wasn't always where we found it, beside the Virginia Air and Space Center. Until the Buckroe Beach Amusement Park closed in 1985, the carousel was its main attraction. Then the city bought it, and its restoration was financed by local residents. It reopened in 1991 to great fanfare at its new location in Carousel Park off Settlers Landing Road.

You will find no garishly painted, Fiberglass ponies here. This vintage carousel's 48 gilded and softly hued, hardwood horses and two chariots were hand-carved by immigrant artisans from Germany, Russia and Italy. The steeds are all different but all muscular and adorned with wavy, luxurious manes. The glimmer of 900 lights illuminates the Victorian gingerbread trim and the restored paintings that encircle the 66-key band organ and its mechanical drum.

Our little rider was smitten by a horse in a medieval suit of armor. While she twirled around and up and down to the music, Emma admired herself and her steed in the mirrors on the axis. With each pass, she searched for Dad on the sidelines and waved like crazy.

We were there for a while. No matter. Rides are only 50 cents, and a shared memory like this is worth far, far more. ILLUSTRATION: Photo

IAN MARTIN/The Virginian-Pilot

The Hampton Carousel was built in 1920, its horses carved and

painted by Italian, German and Russian immigrants. It's been

restored and now stands next to the Virginia Air and Space Center in

Hampton.

Map

Graphic

IF YOU GO

What: Hampton Carousel

Where: 602 Settlers Landing Road, beside the Virginia Air and

Space Center, in Hampton