Herschell Carrousel Factory Museum
For a unique piece of local history be sure to save plenty of time for a stop at the Herschell Carrousel Factory Museum during your Buffalo or Niagara Falls class outing, this museum allowing guests to get an inside look at how carousels and music rolls were made.
This museum is located in North Tonawanda in Niagara County, between Buffalo and Niagara Falls, and is located within a historic carousel factory constructed in 1915. Inside, your group will be able to ride 2 antique carousels, view the production of music rolls, and fill up on information regarding both. Learn all about the Wurlitzer Music, see the original Carving Floor in which the carousel animals took shape, take carving classes yourself, or visit KiddieLand, with rides meant for children between 34 and 52 inches.
A guided tour will last about an hour and will be customized to fit your group's age and interest, though each tour will end with a ride on either the 1916 #1 Special carousel or the kiddie carousel. During the tour, you will learn the history of the Allan Herschell Company, the most prolific maker of carousels known, as well as the Wurlitzer Music Roll Department. See the production of paper music rolls and learn about the band organs that used the rolls as you view the 90-year-old band organ and over 1600 music rolls produced here. This is a great option for student groups focusing on STEM learning, as music roll production was essentially coding in the past!
