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The Floyd L. Moreland Carousel will officially reopen at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, July 3, the borough said in an update on its website. The carousel dates back to 1910 and was last operating at Casino Pier in April 2019.
The Seaside Heights Historical Society said the carousel passed state inspection on Monday, June 10. The group's members can take some of the first rides from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, June 29.
The wooden chariots and animals like horses, camels, lions, and donkeys were disassembled in November 2019 by Carousels and Carvings. The Marion, Ohio, company is one of the last remaining restorers of wooden merry-go-rounds.
The carousel was reassembled throughout the summer and fall of 2023 in a pavilion on the boardwalk's north end. A new wheelchair-accessible chariot was installed in April 2024.
A $750,000 grant from the New Jersey Historic Trust helped fund part of the project. The historical society also collected matching donations for the grant program.
Fans of the carousel said they were excited on the historical society's Facebook page.
"Such fabulous news!" one commenter said. "Can’t wait to take a ride. Thanks to such a great effort to save this revolving historical work of art!"
"Wonderful news!!" another person posted on Facebook. "Look forward to riding it my next trip down."
Parts of the carousel were originally used in a merry-go-round at Burlington Island Park until a fire severely damaged an amusement park there in 1928. Surviving pieces were moved to Seaside Heights and helped create a new carousel that was spinning on the boardwalk by 1937.
The carousel is named after Dr. Floyd Moreland, a retired City University of New York professor who rode it in the summer as a child and worked as an operator during summers throughout college and graduate school. He also helped restore the merry-go-round during the winter months in the 1980s after it deteriorated and the former Casino Pier owners considered selling it.
The historical society also said the borough was looking for seasonal or part-time carousel operators, and applicants must be at least 18 years old.
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