Bear Mountain Carousel
Bear Mountain, NY (15 min)
The Bear Mountain Merry-Go-Round, housed in a soaring 7,800-square-foot pavilion built in 2001, was designed to highlight the indigenous animals and natural scenes of the Hudson River Valley area. The Merry-go-Round features hand painted scenes of the park and a menagerie of 42 hand carved seats of native animals including black bear, wild turkey, deer, raccoon, skunk, Canada goose, fox, swan, bobcat, rabbit and more. The carousel façade depicts the historical and natural scenes that decorate the ride and evoke the history of the Palisades Park system. Panels range from scenes of the nearby Perkins Tower to the Palisades cliffs along the Hudson River. There are 1917 steamboats, the Stony Point lighthouse and the Walt Whitman statue, a noted Bear Mountain landmark. A scene of the Bear Mountain Inn, circa 1929, is a perfect example of the kind of details that make the carousel such a wonder.
The carousel is open seasonally, and birthday parties can be held in the rustic beautifully designed pavilion, which contains a concession stand as well.