Lighthouse Park

The carousel at Lighthouse Point Park was carved around 1905 by Charles Looff and Charles Carmel and housed in a Renaissance Revival building built in 1916 — one of the largest still-operating carousels in the country, 60 feet across, with horses, two dragon-chariots, a camel, and a figure of George Washington among its animals. It was a main destination for working-class New Haven families who rode the trolley line to reach it, until age, hurricanes, and its seaside location forced it to close; the building was boarded up in 1977 and the carved figures placed in storage. Both the carousel and its building are now listed on the National Register of Historic Places, restored through a community "Adopt-a-Horse" campaign and running again. Persistent rumors hold that after midnight, when the carousel is motionless and the park empty, its music and a child's laughter can still be heard.