Photo: Daniel Case, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
At the end of Bay Street in Watch Hill sits a small carousel that is older than nearly any other in the country. The Flying Horse Carousel dates to the late 1800s and was brought to Watch Hill by a traveling carnival.
Why it “flies”
Unlike most carousels, the horses are not fixed to poles in a platform. They hang from chains attached to the center frame. As the carousel picks up speed, the horses swing outward, giving riders the feeling of flying. Each horse is carved from a single piece of wood, with real horsehair tails and manes and agate eyes.
Rules
Only children can ride, and riders try to grab a brass ring as they pass. The carousel was named a National Historic Landmark in 1987.
The 1938 hurricane flooded the area, and the carousel was dug out and restored. A nonprofit now owns and cares for it, with periodic restoration of the horses.
Watch Hill business
The carousel draws families to the Bay Street shops, ice cream stands and restaurants each summer. It is one of the main reasons day visitors come to the village.
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