Don’t leave the park without taking a ride on the famous carousel located at 64th Street in the middle of the park. Taking a ride on one of the 58 beautifully hand-carved horses is a thrill no matter your age. The carousel has an interesting history: from 1871 to 1924 it was powered by a real four-legged animal! The wooden horses that riders sat on were actually set in motion by a live mule walking on a treadmill in an underground pit. The current carousel (the fourth incarnation from the original and one of the largest in the country) was discovered by the Parks Department, abandoned in an old trolley terminal in Coney Island. Further proof that one person’s trash is another person’s treasure!