SEASIDE HEIGHTS – The Floyd L. Moreland Carousel, a treasured 114-year-old attraction located on the Seaside Heights boardwalk in Ocean County, New Jersey, is slated to welcome visitors again just in time for the Independence Day celebrations. This storied carousel had been painstakingly dismantled in 2019 and transported nearly 600 miles to Ohio’s Carousels and Carvings for meticulous restoration. The grand reopening is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Wednesday, July 3, as announced by borough officials.
An exclusive preview event is also planned for June 28, according to Seaside Heights business administrator, Christopher Vaz. Among the anticipated attendees is the carousel’s namesake, Floyd Moreland, a retired dean and classics professor from the City University of New York. Having cherished memories of the carousel from his youth, Moreland led a pivotal effort in the 1980s to ensure its preservation. Moreland, now aged 82, reflects on the unique charm of the carousel, noting its ability to spark imagination and dreams, in remarks to NJ Advance Media.
The heyday of carousel manufacturing was in the early twentieth century, with Seaside Heights’ carousel emerging as the oldest operational vintage carousel along the Jersey Shore. This area was known to host numerous carousels up until the 1960s, according to Patrick Wentzel, president of the National Carousel Association. Out of the 3,500-plus carousels crafted in the United States from the late 19th century to the 1930s, it remains among the less than 175 still enchanting visitors today, adds Wentzel. Featuring 58 meticulously hand-carved figures, including 36 that majestically rise and fall, such as horses, a lion, tiger, mule, and two camels, the Floyd L. Moreland Carousel is set to captivate a new generation with its historic charm and beauty.