National Merry-Go-Round Day is a holiday that remembers and celebrates a revolving machine that’s usually equipped with model animals that people can sit on and usually plays some type of carnival music. Merry-Go-Rounds became popular in the U.S when European immigrants brought their skills into the country and began making them on a large scale.

For a while, these amusement devices could be found all over America, but throughout the years, the number of them around began to decrease. Nowadays, there are only about 400 merry-go-rounds left in the U.S, and that’s why many people will want to honor them by celebrating this holiday on July 25th.

The History Of National Merry-Go-Round Day

This holiday was first created in 2014 by Better Largent and Ronald Hopkins. Bette Largent was the President of the National Carousel Association and Ronald Hopkins was a historian that specialized in the history of the carousel. They created this holiday on July 25th because this is the date in 1871 when William Schneider obtained the first U.S patent for the modern carousel.

Interesting Facts About Merry-Go-Rounds

Below are some of the facts about merry-go-rounds that we think people should think about.

• The largest indoor carousel in the world is located at House on the Rock in Wisconsin. It has 182 chandeliers, 269 model animals, and 20,000 lights.
• Although antique carousel animals are usually carved from wood, modern ones are made from aluminum or fiberglass.
• Some early merry-go-round model horses were made with real horsehair for their mane and tails.

Observing National Merry-Go-Round Day

If you can find a merry-go-round, then this is a good day to visit one. However, if you don’t live near one, then you might just have to just take the time to learn about merry-go-rounds and their incredible history. While observing this holiday, don’t forget to use the hashtag #MerryGoRoundDay to spread the word about it to everyone on the Internet.