A Visit to the Carousel at Pottstown

A carved horse painted white on the Carousel at Pottstown

Date of Visit: October 30, 2022

I, like many, love nostalgia. So anytime I can visit an attraction that reminds me of childhood memories, I’m in.

That’s what I found when I took my son to the Carousel at Pottstown.

While every amusement park – HersheyPark, Dutch Wonderland, Knoebel’s Grove, and Delgrosso among them – boasts its own version of the classic ride, the Carousel at Pottstown is an outlier as a stand-alone attraction.

Memorabilia hanging on the wall of the Carousel at Pottstown

Originally built in 1905 by the Philadelphia Toboggan Company, the carousel has survived for more than a century. Twenty years of restoration went into the attraction before it opened in its new home in Pottstown, Montgomery County, in the early 2010s.

Carved zebras on the Carousel at Pottstown

The attraction is open on weekends and select weekday evenings throughout the year. And the cost for a ride is just a couple dollars.

It’s a fun ride, and it’s obvious that there was a great amount of care placed in the restoration as the paint on the horses, chariots and panels still looked new.

Snack bar made to look like an old-time diner behind a group of round tables with black chairs at the Carousel at Pottstown

After the ride, I tried out some of the classic pinball games that lined one wall of the room – more childhood nostalgia for me – and took a little time to walk around and view the memorabilia hanging on the walls around the building.

Vintage Spider-Man pinball machine at the Carousel at Pottstown

There isn’t much beyond that, however, so a visit to the carousel was a quick one. (We did, however, also play a round of mini golf at Manatawny Green next door). But it was still enjoyable. For us, the short drive was worth it. And for anyone traveling along the Route 422 corridor between Reading and King of Prussia, it’s a worth a side trip as well.

Especially if you want to feel like a kid again.

When You Go

The Carousel is generally open limited hours on weekends only, but does offer select other dates. It is also available for rent for private parties.
The Carousel is adjacent to Manatwany Green Mini Golf. Adding on a round of mini golf makes for an enjoyable afternoon.
It’s also just across the street from Pottstown Memorial Park and near the historic Pottsgrove Manor.