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Herschell Carrousel Factory Museum
The Carrousel Museum

The Herschell Carrousel Factory Museum occupies the original Allan Herschell Company factory complex at 180 Thompson Street in North Tonawanda, New York. The factory as it was in the early part of the century.
The building, which is listed on both the New York State and National Registers of Historic Sites, is a series of seven interconnected structures which once housed all of the manufacturing components of the factory. The Allan Herschell Company shipped its first ride from this factory complex in 1916.

The Museum: Opened to the public in July of 1983, at first operating the 1916 Allan Herschell carousel in the original roundhouse. Since 1988 the entire first floor has been open with exhibits and demonstrations that interpret the operation of the factory.
The Carrousel Factory Museum as it stands today. Today, the Museum hosts approximately 15,000 visitors per year and offers a variety of programming. We have a paid staff of four, a dedicated active Board of Trustees, and volunteers
who serve as carousel operators, gift shop clerks, admissions greeters and maintenance personnel, contributing greatly to our mission.

Programs include: Woodcarving classes at beginner, intermediate and advanced levels, classes for young people, a summer lecture series, and guided tours for groups of all ages. The museum exhibits the history and growth of the Herschell Companies, demonstrates carving, horse restoration and band organ roll production, and operates two antique carousels.

We also host family entertainment several Sundays during the summer, with performances as diverse as youth theatre, mime, interactive poetry, magic, music and puppetry. Special programs for young people include a Youth Volunteer Program which encourages youngsters ages 12 to 18 to experience the positive aspects of volunteering, and a Neighborhood Partners Program for local elementary school children which provides special free visits to the museum.

The Herschell Carrousel Factory Museum has become a focal center of cultural and recreational opportunities for local citizens as well as tourists visiting the Tonawandas.

Adjacent to the site of the Museum, the City of North Tonawanda has developed a linear walking/bike trail along a two-block section of the former New York Central Railroad right-of- way. In addition to walking and biking, there is space for public events such as craft shows, band organ rallies and outdoor public performances.

This landscaped "Heritage Trail" connects the Herschell Carrousel Factory Museum with the Railroad Museum site on Oliver Street. The trail continues, by means of signage, to the Riviera Theatre in downtown North Tonawanda and to the banks of the Erie Canal.