Girish Mahajan (Editor)

Columbia Carousel

Updated on
Edit
Like
Comment
Share on FacebookTweet on TwitterShare on LinkedInShare on Reddit
Status
  
Operating

Area
  
Carousel Plaza

Opening date
  
1976

Opened
  
1976

Cost
  
1.5 million USD

Opening date
  
1976

Status
  
Operating

Attraction type
  
Carousel

Phone
  
+1 408-988-1776

Riders per vehicle
  
1

Columbia Carousel

Address
  
Santa Clara, CA 95054, USA

Hours
  
Closing soon · 10AM–5:30PM, 7PM–12AMWednesday10AM–5:30PM, 7PM–12AMThursday10AM–5:30PM, 7PM–12AMFriday10AM–5:30PM, 7PM–12AMSaturday10AM–5:30PM, 7PM–12AMSunday10AM–5:30PM, 7PM–12AMMonday10AM–5:30PM, 7PM–12AMTuesday10AM–5:30PM, 7PM–12AM

Park
  
California's Great America

Similar
  
Flight Deck, Gold Striker, Whizzer, Grizzly, Patriot

Columbia Carousel (known as Carousel Columbia at California's Great America) is a pair of double-decked carousels at Six Flags Great America and at California's Great America (the parks were built by the Marriott hotel chain as sister properties but later sold to separate owners). To this date they are the world's tallest carousels.

Contents


History

The first Columbia opened in the Santa Clara park in 1976 and the Gurnee Columbia opened later that year. They opened as the world's biggest carousel and continue to hold that title to this day. Each horse on the carousels was a replica of one of the world's most famous carousel horses. In front of the carousels was a large reflecting pond with historic replicas of American flags flying along the sides. Today the flags still fly. The Columbia is often associated with the Carousel Song, produced especially for the Marriott's Great America theme parks by Gene Patrick. A clip of the Carousel Song can be heard here. The Carousel Song still plays at the Gurnee park every evening when the park closes.

In 1994, Santa Clara's Columbia received some minor renovations for its appearance in the movie Beverly Hills Cop III.

In the early 2000s both carousels received touches of red and blue paint. The original paint scheme was white with gold trim, however, some of the gold trim still remains.

In the 2011/2012 off-season, Carousel Columbia at California's Great America was re-painted.

The carousel is known as Carousel Columbia at California's Great America and Columbia Carousel at Six Flags Great America.

References

Columbia Carousel Wikipedia


Similar Topics