Finally! Historic Part of Albany’s New York State Museum Has Re-Opened

A major piece of the New York State Museum, which is housed in Albany, is now operational for the first time since 2019. The attraction has been entertaining kids and families alike since the early 20th century, yet had been out-of-service for four years for various reasons.

Now, repairs have been made, the pandemic is (mostly) in the rearview mirror, and patrons of this century-old exhibit can officially get back-on-the-horse.

Get our free mobile app

Century-Old Carousel at New York State Museum Operating for First Time Since '19

A story from New York Upstate and other outlets shared the good news that, for the first time since 2019, the New York State Museum Carousel is officially back in-service. The ride had been shut down for the past four years, after changes to the weight distribution of the animal figurines were made, and the changes had caused it to wear down.

Couple those mechanical issues with the COVID-19 pandemic hitting in 2020, and the road to the carousel working again became even longer. That was the case until Thursday, when the New York State Museum posted this to their Facebook page:

It is a truly remarkable piece of design and machinery, one that has been entertaining New York patrons for over a century. NY Upstate asserts that construction of the carousel was completed around the year 1915, and that certain components had already been constructed decades prior, dating back to the late 1800s.

Over one century later, and people are still able to enjoy its majesty. Check out this video of the carousel below:

Certain changes were made to the carousel in order to ensure the safety of its patrons in 2023. Check out this blurb from New York Upstate about the scale of the renovation project:

"The New York State Education Department reported that the entire carousel was disassembled, new parts were made by the museum, and repairs were done by skilled craftsmen over the past three years." - New York Upstate

So, not only is the carousel safer, but it's once again free to the public, and open from Tuesday through Sunday, between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. Here is where it's located in Albany:

Visit the official New York State Museum website here to learn more about the carousel, the rest of the museum, and how you can check it out this summer!