The Carousel on the National Mall

The grandkids loved it, but they made my daughter pay just to stand next to her 2 year old.

I’d visited the carousel on the National Mall when I was living in DC in summer 2008, but I visited once again, 7 years later, on the day my fiancé and I got engaged last week. We had a fantastic time and had the carousel all to ourselves. The admission is fairly cheap and the carousel is centrally located right near the Smithsonian Castle (Smithsonian Visitors’ Center) on the National Mall. I can’t think of a better thing to do (besides visiting the museums, of course) to pass the time on the National Mall!

It’s a cute carousel… it’s just really jankity. Like… really janikity. Like… hasn’t been painted or prettied up in at least 10 years by the sight of it. Throw a couple of coats on there and fix the tent part of the carousel, and it will look and be worth the $ 3.50 per person spent. Otherwise you hover around the $ 1.50 range due to lack of atheistics.

The people are nice enough and the merry-​go-​round goes a few more times than you get at Disneyland or the zoo. However it is $ 3.50 per kid and that’s extravagant. It’s not crowded but they would probably make more if they were more reasonable with their rates.

It’s old, the music is traditional, the paint is chipping, and I love it. I remember when I came to DC for college, I though the carousel on the Mall was tacky. After all, it had to be a tourist trap, didn’t it? What self-​respecting Washingtonian was ride it?
Turns out almost everyone I know. For some people I know, going for a ride on the first nice day of the year has always been the rite of passage for the coming spring. It never was for me, but taking my oldest on there today was great. The smiles of all the kids, dragged to the Mall for the Cherry Blossom Festival, was priceless.
Speaking of price, $ 3.50 is really not a bad price. The only warning is that the ride doesn’t start until the merry-​go-​round is as full as they think they can get it.

I’m sure charging for parents to ride with small children is effective in earning more money. I mostly found it annoying since they have a website but don’t list that kind of information on it. (The price is listed under field trips but that left one guessing if that was a fieldtrip price or the regular price and left no way to guess that adults would be charged to stand next to their child.) Since the carousel can be seen from a great distance, parents who have promised a ride feel stuck when they get there and find out the price is really double.
This is actually not the fastest carousel I’ve ridden but it is much faster than most. It’s definitely something to be aware of. (As a note: I saw another reviewer mentioned different animals. At this point there is one dragon and the rest are horses. So don’t go expecting a choice in animals.)
I’ve given two stars only because it’s a decently long ride for a carousel so if your children are old enough to ride unassisted you would get your money’s worth.

I hope management reads this! Or at least the President …
I agree with the many others… $ 7.00 for 1 ride for a father and son! I firmly support capitalism, but this is highway robbery on the mall.
RECOMMENDATION: Go to the National Harbor to ride their Carousel… $ 5 all day and adults do not have to pay if they are going with their son or daughter!!!

Cheap thrills and awesome animals to ride on right in The Mall so worth it if passing by and need a quick diversion from the day of fun.

For a few dollars and you can ride a dragon, or a tiger, or a unicorn, or a regular horse, or a stationary horse, or even a teacup style turning boat! This is such a cute carousel, and has so many different options for the young, the old, or the young at heart. It spins pretty fast, but the music is old fashioned, and its nice to take in the sights around and on the carousel.

Due to its prime piece of real estate near the Air and Space Museum I got high pressured into forking over $ 7.00 for my son and I to ride. I was surprised (AKA disappointed) to find it open on a foggy, cold Sunday morning. I’m not an expert on carousels, but I’m observant enough to tell you that this isn’t a legendary early 20^th century work of art like the one at Trimper’s Rides in Ocean City or the one at Kings Dominion. This is a kind of flimsy feeling ride that goes at higher speeds than any other carousel I’ve ever encountered. I was ready to hurl after about 4 – 5 spins. I felt the need to clutch my son to prevent him from flying off into the dirt, but I doubt he was in serious danger.
The ride operator seemed like he would truly love to be employed elsewhere. The owners, to my dismay, do allow credit card transactions so don’t try to get out of vomiting by telling your kids you are short of cash.

While I didn’t get on and ride myself, it’s great for out-​of-​town people watching. It’s more of a novelty than anything as it is getting noticeably older and due to its fantastic location on the mall.
Meh, you can make it through DC without riding the carousel and not feel any regret!

$ 3.50 a ride. It goes around FAST, to double-​knot your kid to the horse! Don’t worry about the speed, they’ll love it. If you’re going around with your child, however, you will have to pay as well.
Tip: Check the popcorn stands nearby. Sometimes there is a promotion where if you buy a large popcorn, you get a free carousel ticket with each bag. It may have stopped, but if you’re buying a bag anyway, you might as well see if they have the free ticket.

It was $ 2.50 in November, and you could ride with your toddler for free if they needed the supervision (under 42″).
Now, the price (as of April 30, 2011) is $ 3.50. And if your child is under 42″ you have to pay for another ticket to supervise them, even if you aren’t going to ride a horse. $ 7 for my daughter to ride the merry-​go-​round??? Bonus points to the rude employee, too!

This old carousel is not big, but is a big draw on the Mall for kids young and old. I’ve snapped a few photos here, and just love to look at it. While it isn’t always open (spring, summer, maybe part of fall), it is still fun to just see the old horses. It’s less than $ 3 a ride