the carousel capitol of the world

Binghamton, NY
Another one of our stops led us here.

Where the whole family rode one of the carousels.  For free.

Well, to be truthful, only half of us were there. 
But all were there in spirit.

And it's true.
It was free.

Here's the story:
     George F. Johnson (1857-1948), a local shoe manufacturer and a great benefactor to the Binghamton area, donated six beautiful carousels to local parks within Broome County.
     He felt that carousels contributed to a happy life and would help youngsters grow into strong and useful citizens. "George F" believed carousels should be enjoyed by everyone and insisted that money should never be charged for the "magic ride."
     Now, in their 7th decade, these magnificent machines still spin from Memorial Day to Labor Day at no charge.

Thanks George F. Johnson.  You contributed to my baby girl's happy life.  I'm pretty confident she'll now grow up to be a strong, useful citizen.   Who knew carousels could be so important?

Special Thanks to:

the cityofbinghamton.com

for my history lesson above.

AND                 

My SIL Misty for her

beautiful photography.

AND            

I think

it's kinda funny

how Annaleigh

sorta hates the 

carousel ride at the 

end of the video!

Sorry, baby girl!