Nunley's Carousel

Originally known as Murphy’s Carousel, Nunley’s Carousel was built in 1912 by Stein and Goldstein Artistic Carousel Company. The carousel was part of an amusement park in Canarsie, Brooklyn, for years before being moved to Baldwin in 1940. It remained there until 1995 when the owners of the amusement park retired and then sold their property. As part of an effort to preserve the historic carousel, Nassau County acquired the machine and built a facility to house it within Museum Row. The carousel is now adjacent to the Cradle of Aviation Museum. Aided by significant contributions from the public, the carousel underwent an extensive restoration in 2008 and 2009 and continues to delight families as one of only three intact Stein and Goldstein carousels still in existence.

In the early to mid-twentieth century, roadside amusement parks grew in popularity. Their earliest counterparts were built as destinations unto themselves, but the later incarnations were built alongside the rapidly proliferating highways and were meant to catch the eyes of children of drivers on the way to somewhere else. William Nunley was an early entrepreneur in the field of amusement parks, and by 1939, he was a co-owner of a carousel that operated at the Golden City amusement park.

The Golden City amusement park eventually closed and Nunley moved the carousel to Baldwin, where, he hoped, it would benefit from traffic on the Sunrise Highway. He built a restaurant and eventually added an arcade and other amusements. He was so successful that he began building similar amusement parks throughout the state.

But the Baldwin location was arguably his most successful and was a beloved Long Island institution from 1939 until it closed in 1995. When the owners retired, much of the amusement park was sold at auction and the land was sold to Pep Boyd. Nunley’s beloved carousel, which was built in 1912 by Stein & Goldstein, might have been auctioned off in pieces or possibly destroyed, but Nassau County stepped in and legally seized it.

The Carousel, which now resides on Museum Row, next to the Cradle of Aviation Museum, is one of only three Stein & Goldstein carousels still intact. It consists of 41 horses, 1 lion, 2 chariots, an original Wurlitzer calliope, and numerous painted wooden panels. The carousel underwent a thorough restoration in 2008 and 2009. In 2020. It was awarded the National Carousel Association’s Historic Carousel Award. 

Volunteers Concerned Nunley's Carousel will Shutter Due to Pandemic , Bronx News 12. September 28th 2020. Accessed June 7th 2021. https://bronx.news12.com/volunteers-concerned-nunleys-carousel-will-shutter-due-to-pandemic.

There was Once an Amusement Par Here: New York City's Lost '50s-Era Amusement Parks , Wander Wisdom. March 9th 2020. Accessed June 7th 2021. https://wanderwisdom.com/travel-destinations/There-Was-Once-An-Amusement-Park-Here-Part-II-New-York-Citys-Lost-50s-Era-Amusement-Parks.

Nunley's Historic Carousel , Cradle of Aviation . Accessed June 7th 2021. https://www.cradleofaviation.org/plan_your_visit/nunleys_carousel.html.

Nunley's Carousel , Discover Long Island . Accessed June 7th 2021. https://www.discoverlongisland.com/member/nunleys-carousel-5/.