Here’s the history of the Binghamton area’s 6 carousels

BINGHAMTON (WBNG) - The six carousels around Broome County have a rich history that was brought to life on Thursday at the “Ride the Painted Ponies” hosted by Friends of the Kilmer Mansion.

There used to be 10,000 wooden marry-go-arounds or carousels, and now there are fewer than 100 left in the United States, according to former Broome County Historian Gerry Smith. Binghamton, often called the carousel capital of the world, has six of them.

The carousels were donated by George F. Johnson: A businessman that supervised a shoe factory in Binghamton and later merged businesses with Henry B. Endicott.

Johnson was originally from Massachusetts and loved carousels. However, his financial hardship prevented him from enjoying a ride. When he became successful in Binghamton, he decided to give back to the community.

“He was a little boy in Massachusetts and didn’t have the nickel it cost to ride,” said Smith. “So when he had enough money and was asked, he provided all of the carousels for free. They have to be free forever or they go back to the Johnson family.”

Johnson also made sure that all the horses in the carousels were jumpers, meaning every horse would have to bounce up and down. This way, everyone was able to enjoy a real carousel experience. This is one of the many reasons why people are drawn to these carousels no matter their age.

“I’ve helped 95-year-old historians up on the horse because they wanted to ride one last time,” said Smith. “It brings back such fond memories.”

For a list of all the carousels and their hours, visit here.