Built in 1912, the Midway Carousel is one of the few Daniel Muller carousels in existence today. Its long history also makes it the oldest operating ride at Cedar Point.

The Midway Carousel was originally carved for John J. Hurley of Revere Beach, Mass. Later, the machine was bought by the Holzapfel family of Sandusky, who operated the carousel at Cedar Point from 1946 until the park bought it in 1963.

The horses on the Midway Carousel are examples of Muller’s greatest carvings. The machine was made during the period when Muller and his brother, Alfred, were in business for themselves (1903-1918) and is one of only three remaining Muller machines from that period.

Sixty horses and four chariots, four abreast, adorn the 57-foot turntable. Traditional melodies are filtered from a beautiful Wurlitzer #153 band organ. While all the horses on this machine originally were jumpers, the exterior row was made stationary in the mid-1980s. A row of empty posts near the edge of the platform was once graced with standing figures, making it a five-abreast carousel.

In 1964, due to age and decomposition, it was necessary to remove and reconstruct the ornamental work from the outer rim and inner structure. In 1994, the Midway Carousel underwent a $250,000 complete restoration and was moved into a dazzling new building near the park’s main entrance.