Prospect Park Carousel

Prospect Park Carousel is a historic wooden merry-go-round located in the Children’s Corner of Prospect Park in Brooklyn, New York City, near the Willink Entrance on Flatbush Avenue. The carousel dates from 1912 and features 53 hand-carved horses created by Charles Carmel, a Russian-Jewish immigrant who became one of the leading carousel carvers of the early twentieth century. Carmel was particularly associated with the elaborate Coney Island style, characterised by expressive horses with flowing manes, open mouths, decorative saddles and colourful trappings. Having lived near Prospect Park, he frequently visited the park’s horse stables to study the animals that inspired his designs. In addition to the horses, the carousel includes a lion, a giraffe, a deer and two dragon-decorated chariots, accompanied by music from a historic Wurlitzer band organ. The animals are arranged in three rows beneath an ornate pavilion decorated with painted panels, brass fittings and approximately 1,000 electric lights. The carousel originally operated at Coney Island before being relocated to Prospect Park in 1952, where it replaced earlier attractions that had been destroyed by fire. The park’s first carousel had opened in 1874 and was powered by horses before being moved to another location in 1885. Its successor was also eventually destroyed, leaving Prospect Park without a working carousel for almost two decades. The present carousel opened in October 1952 as part of the development of the Children’s Corner, close to the Prospect Park Zoo and Lefferts Historic House. By the early 1980s, decades of wear, mechanical problems and neglect had left it in such poor condition that it was closed in 1983. Following the establishment of the Prospect Park Alliance in 1987, restoration of the carousel became the organisation’s first major capital project. Carousel specialist Will Morton VIII led the extensive restoration, which involved dismantling and repairing the wooden animals, removing as many as twenty layers of old paint to uncover their original colours, rebuilding the mechanical equipment and restoring the decorative artwork. The Wurlitzer organ was also repaired, with historic illustrations of Brooklyn and Prospect Park incorporated into its decoration. The carousel reopened in October 1990 and has remained a functioning historic attraction under the management of the Prospect Park Alliance. It is one of the relatively few surviving wooden carousels from the golden age of American amusement parks.

Prospect Park Carousel has appeared in Bored to Death (2009–2011) and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (2017–2023). In Bored to Death, the carousel becomes the setting for a violent confrontation involving Jonathan Ames and his friends as they attempt to solve a murder case in the third season. The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel uses the same location for a very different scene, with Miriam Maisel and her estranged husband Joel discussing their uncertain future during their son’s birthday party. Both productions filmed at the actual historic carousel in Brooklyn’s Prospect Park.

In Bored to Death (2009–2011), the HBO comedy series created by Jonathan Ames, Prospect Park Carousel appears in «Gumball!» (2011), the second episode of the third season. Jonathan Ames, played by Jason Schwartzman, has been framed for the murder of a jockey named Schwartz after accepting a private detective assignment involving a mysterious blonde woman. Having escaped from the police with the help of his friend Ray Hueston, played by Zach Galifianakis, Jonathan sets out to identify the real murderer and clear his name. Their investigation leads them to Kitty, played by Amy Spanger, who claims that her boyfriend Sid, a former jockey, murdered Schwartz after discovering that she was having an affair with him. She tells Jonathan that Sid works at the Prospect Park Carousel, joking that it is where all former jockeys eventually end up. Jonathan and Ray head to the park, where they are joined by their friend George Christopher, played by Ted Danson, who is heavily under the influence of marijuana and convinced that government agents are following him. When George arrives at the carousel on a borrowed bicycle, he mistakes the merry-go-round for a Ferris wheel, prompting Jonathan to correct him. Jonathan and Ray, meanwhile, are wearing ridiculous airline pilot uniforms obtained from their eccentric acquaintance Howard, played by Patton Oswalt, in an attempt to disguise themselves from the police. As the carousel prepares for its final ride of the day, the three friends confront Sid and demand that he explain why Jonathan was framed for murder. Sid eventually admits that he and Kitty arranged the killing after discovering that Schwartz had named Kitty as the beneficiary of his will and life insurance policy. Their plan was to murder Schwartz, frame Jonathan for the crime and escape together with the money. Before the friends can take Sid to the police, another former jockey, Gumball, suddenly appears and shoots him. Gumball then attempts to frame Jonathan for Sid’s murder by forcing his fingerprints onto the murder weapon. He also reveals his intention to kill Jonathan, Ray and George, making their deaths appear to have occurred during a shootout with Sid. The confrontation erupts into gunfire around the carousel, with the three friends desperately trying to escape while George continues making confused remarks about the supposed Ferris wheel. Ray, terrified of being killed, pleads for his life by explaining that he has recently become a father and does not want to leave his son Spencer without him. Police officers eventually arrive and intervene, bringing the violence to an end. Jonathan is subsequently cleared of the murder accusations, with Officer Drake congratulating him on his detective work and presenting the three friends with police baseball caps. The carousel provides the setting for the climax of the two-part murder mystery that begins the third season, transforming the normally peaceful children’s attraction into the scene of an absurdly violent confrontation involving crooked jockeys, murder, mistaken identities and three thoroughly incompetent amateur investigators. The sequence was filmed at the actual Prospect Park Carousel, with its historic wooden horses and surrounding pavilion clearly visible throughout the confrontation.

In The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (2017–2023), the comedy-drama series created by Amy Sherman-Palladino, Prospect Park Carousel appears in «Thank You and Good Night» (2017), the eighth and final episode of the first season. Miriam «Midge» Maisel, played by Rachel Brosnahan, has recently separated from her husband Joel, played by Michael Zegen, after discovering his affair with his secretary, Penny Pann. While attempting to establish herself as a stand-up comedian, Midge has also become involved in a dispute with the powerful entertainment agent Harry Drake after publicly mocking his client, comedian Sophie Lennon. The morning after a particularly heavy night of drinking, Midge attends a birthday party for her son Ethan, which she has organised together with her friend Imogene Cleary, played by Bailey De Young. The celebration takes place beside the Prospect Park Carousel, with numerous children playing around the ride while their parents gather nearby. Imogene enthusiastically discusses her plans for Ethan to marry her daughter Estelle when they grow older, even suggesting that their future wedding should take place at the Central Park Boathouse. Her husband Archie, played by Joel Johnstone, is relieved that the party is being held in the park rather than at their home. Meanwhile, Midge, suffering from a hangover, helps herself to the macaroni and cheese prepared for the children. Joel arrives for the party, and the two exchange their usual sarcastic remarks before Midge asks whether they can speak privately. They subsequently board the carousel, where their conversation takes a more serious turn as the ride revolves around them. Midge suggests that it may finally be time to begin divorce proceedings, explaining that they should move forward with their lives and establish a normal arrangement for their children. Joel appears surprised by the suggestion but tells her that he will accept whatever she believes is best. He then mentions that he is expecting a promotion at work, which will provide him with more money and allow him to support Midge and the children financially. When he reveals that the new position will involve considerable travelling, Midge seems concerned about how often he will be away. Despite their discussion about divorce, it becomes apparent that neither has entirely abandoned the possibility of reconciliation. Later, after the birthday party, Joel accompanies Midge back to her parents’ apartment, where they share a quiet moment in the kitchen before eventually kissing and spending the night together. Their apparent reconciliation proves short-lived, however, when Joel subsequently hears a recording of Midge’s first stand-up performance and discovers how extensively she has used their marriage as material for her comedy. The carousel scene is particularly significant because it places a conversation about the possible end of their marriage in the middle of a children’s birthday celebration. Filming took place at Prospect Park Carousel on 16 August 2017, with the production constructing a temporary structure beside the ride for the birthday party scenes. The historic carousel itself was used for the conversation between Midge and Joel, accompanied by music from Rodgers and Hammerstein’s musical Carousel.

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