Editing Carousel (section)

{{Short description|Type of amusement ride}}
{{About|the electro-mechanical amusement ride|the manually operated playground equipment with spinning platforms|roundabout (play)|other uses|section=yes}}
{{Redirect|Merry-go-round|other uses|Merry-Go-Round (disambiguation){{!}}Merry-go-round (disambiguation)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2019}}
[[File:ManègeLR1.jpg|thumb|A double-decker carousel in France]]
[[File:Merry go round - Tokyo Dome City Oct 15 2021.ogg|right|thumb|A carousel in [[Tokyo Dome City]] in Japan]]
A '''carousel''' or '''carrousel''' (mainly [[North American English]]), '''merry-go-round''' ([[International English]]), or '''galloper''' ([[British English]]) is a type of [[list of amusement rides|amusement ride]] consisting of a [[rotation|rotating]] circular platform with seats for riders. The seats are traditionally in the form of rows of animal figures (usually [[horse]]s) mounted on posts, many of which move up and down to simulate [[Horse gallop|galloping]]. Sometimes [[chair]]-like or bench-like seats are used, and occasionally mounts can take the form of non-animals, such as airplanes or cars. Carousel rides are typically accompanied by [[loop (music)|looped]] [[circus music]].

The word ''carousel'' derives from the French word ''carrousel'', meaning ''little battle'', a reference to European tournaments of the same name starting in the 17th century. Participants in these tournaments rode live horses and competed in various [[cavalry]] skill tests, such as [[running at the ring|ring jousting]]. By the end of that century, simple machines were created in which wooden horses were suspended from a spinning wheel mounted on top of a central pole, allowing competitors to practice ring jousting without tiring their horses. These early contraptions soon became common with traveling [[fair]]s in Europe, and by the 19th century, their popularity spread to [[North America]], where they became staple attractions in [[traveling carnival]]s and some of the first purpose-built [[amusement park]]s. Most historic carousel animal figures, including those made during the golden age of carousels from the 1870s to the early 1930s, were made from wood, and were carved and painted by hand. Hand-carved wood was replaced with more economic [[aluminium|aluminum]] castings and later [[fiberglass]] castings in the 20th century. Many carousels operate around the world today and are often used to symbolize the entire amusement industry.