Coney Carousel Traveling to Ohio for a While

[Photo courtesy of Spatch/flickr]

Coney Island's beloved B&B Carousell, which was bought for $1.8 million by the City of New York before it could be auctioned off, is on its way Marion, Ohio, where it will be restored by experts at Carousels & Carvings Inc. The movers showed up at the Brooklyn Army Terminal, where it has been stored, on Tuesday. The restored carousel will be installed in Steeplechase Plaza, which will be built at the base of the Parachute Jump. Per the Brooklyn Daily Eagle:

Carousels & Carvings was responsible for dismantling the carousel, cataloguing its thousands of components and preparing them for storage at the Army Terminal. In addition to developing and executing a comprehensive, detailed restoration plan for the carousel, C&C will also transport the restored carousel back to Coney Island, reassemble it and install it at its new home in the newly created Steeplechase Pavilion near the Parachute Jump.

There is a good deal of history about the carousel here. The sign in the building where it was housed on Surf Avenue was painted over and destroyed recently. It will be at least a couple of years before the carousel is restored and is able to take its place near the boardwalk.