Ribbon Cut For New Jane's Carousel At Brooklyn Bridge Park
NEW YORK (WCBS 880) - After decades in the making, there is now a new attraction at Brooklyn Bridge Park.
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One of the lucky first to ride Jane's Carousel following its ribbon cutting on Thursday was 8-year-old Ethan Lehrer of Manhattan.
"I think it looks sort of old-fashioned but it looks good. I think it looks great," he said.
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The restoration of the 1922 wooden merry-go-round was a labor of love for artist Jane Walentas.
"My hope when I started working on it was that I could leave it all in original paint, but the horses were really in too rough shape," she said.
Walentas bought the 48-horse carousel at auction in 1984 for what she thinks was $385,000. She estimates having put several million dollars of work into it.
It took Walentas 22 years to restore and another 2 years to move the ride from a warehouse on Water Street.
"Everybody is pretty awed by it, including me," she said.
The carousel is housed in a glass pavilion designed by Pritzker Prize winning French architect Jean Nouvel.
Jane's Carousel will be open daily, except Tuesdays, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Tickets are $2 per ride; children under three years old or under 42 inches in height ride for free with a paying adult. Fees will go towards maintaining the carousel.
Click here to learn more about Jane's Carousel.
What's your favorite merry-go-round in the city? Sound off below!
