BROOME COUNTY, N.Y. -- The music of a carousel is a familiar sound that takes many Broome County residents back to their childhood. The history dates all the way back to 1919, when George F. Johnson donated the first carousels to the area.
Nearly a century later, thousands share the same memories so many did decades ago.
"It was an attraction for kids of all ages and I think that's still the attraction today," said Gerald Smith, Broome County Historian.
Today, there are fewer than 100 original wooden carousels in the U.S, with six of them here in the Carousel Capital of the World. Each horse is hand-painted, and many still have the original mechanisms to keep them running. After years of use, many went through a brief restoration in the 1990s to preserve the history.
"The art students started to keep them up, and then they went on to the historical registry and that's not allowed anymore, so now it's thousands of dollars to restore them," said Jackie Tedesco, Endicott Visitors Center associate director.
While the carousels may have changed a bit throughout the years, one thing that will never change is Johnson's wish to keep them free of charge for as long as they exist.
"He didn't have the nickel it cost to ride the merry-go-round there, and he always swore that if he had enough money, he would ensure that everybody could ride a carousel for free," said Smith.
Just as Johnson would have wished, each year, people from across the country make trip to Broome County for the carousel experience alone.
"It's an experience you can have when you're a baby, and you can have it when you're over 100 years old and I've seen both ages on our local carousels," said Smith.
All six county carousels will open Memorial Day Weekend.