The historic, 101-year-old Balboa Park Carousel is about to ride again.
The attraction — normally spinning at 1889 Zoo Place — has been closed for restoration for the past six months, but Forever Balboa Park says it’ll reopen on National Carousel Day — Tuesday, July 25, 11 a.m.-5:30 p.m.
The celebration will include free rides, entertainment, family-friendly activities, and local food vendors. The lineup includes The Young Lions Jazz Conservatory, mariachi, a DJ, circus performers, and crafts hosted by the Spanish Village Art Center.
Forever Balboa Park told SDtoday that the carousel’s most recent enhancements included much-needed structural upgrades like a new roof and removal of the triangle eaves that weren’t part of the original building. The menagerie got a fresh, more historically accurate paint job, too.
The carousel will be open during special summer hours — 11 a.m.-5:30 p.m. daily, through Sunday, Aug. 20. Afterwards, it’ll be open on weekends and school holidays. It’ll cost $4 per ride, or $14 for four rides.
