Comments (0) Best Timeless Childhood Classic (1937) - 2010

Griffith Park Merry-Go-Round

Certain activities define a generation — building model airplanes, playing Parcheesi, finally beating Super Mario 3 — but there are some that simply define childhood, no matter when you were born. Riding a carousel is one of those experiences, and the Griffith Park Merry-Go-Round is the place to do it in L.A. The merry-go-round has been spinning since 1937, churning out classic oom-pah-pah carnival music as it whirls its 68 masterfully carved horses in circles. And no kid gets stuck with a stagnant horse — every one is an up-and-downer. The carousel is truly classic, sporting a few cracks and scratches, but like laugh lines, they’ve been earned. 4730 Crystal Springs Dr., Los Feliz. (323) 665-3051. —Ali Trachta