Central Park Carousel Operator Canned

Photo via Ralph Hockens' Flickr

A year after carousel operator New York One LLC abandoned the Queens Forest Park merry-go-round, claiming there wasn't enough foot traffic, the Parks Department has terminated their contract to run the famed Central Park Carousel. They told the NY Post the operator has failed to mainten and clean the ride up to their standards. The company will be out by Monday, and they may not have anyone else to run it for another month.

Some interesting tidbits from the article: the ride costs $2 and takes in just under $200K a year. There's a $7,500 concession fee the operator need to pay in order to run it. It's not running when the temperature falls under 32 degrees. And one man, Sal Napolitano, has worked in various positions at the ride for 39 years; he says that Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis once asked if she needed to pay to watch her children go 'round.

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By Jen Carlson in News on February 18, 2010 5:06 PM

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Mainten??

FelixtheCat & Christine Quinn'

Shame. I liked the carousel. Shut down the horse carriage industry which pays no concessions, dirties the streets and abuses the horses.

youngpro

can we keep them if they start paying concessions? it's how i get to and from work every day! i dont wanna lose my baby!

Knickerbocker

I rode the Carousel as a baby, and brought my son for his first ride last year (and was back with him this year again). That one in the picture with the armor - that's the one I always try to ride (it is the only armored horse).

Besides the $2 fee (I remember when it was 25c, blahblah, etc.), it is basically the same as it was in 1974, except with better lighting. Even the songs being played are the same. That is exactly what I wanted for me and my son - good fun for him and a connection to my past for me. Don't know what the Parks dept sees is the problem.

At $7500/mo fee with only 190k gross (see NYP article), that's only about 100k profit, plus you have to pay the staff. How does this ride make real money for any operator after taxes?

Just hope they don't find some 'corporate sponsor' who will slap their logo on the side of each horse.