Entry No. 7 — the Boulder file — filed under: carousel
Carousel of Happiness
In 1968, Marine Corporal Scott Harrison returned from Vietnam haunted by combat and sustained by a single mental image: a carousel in a mountain meadow. He spent the next 26 years turning that vision into reality. In 1986 he rescued an abandoned 1910 Looff carousel from the Utah State Training School, hauled it to Nederland, and — despite having no prior carving experience — hand-carved more than 50 one-of-a-kind basswood animals to replace the missing horses. The result is a menagerie unlike any other: alpaca, mermaid, gorilla, peacock, a Navajo pony (the lone horse), and dozens more, each hiding a poem, story, or artwork sealed inside its carved body. It all spins to a 1913 Wurlitzer band organ at 8,200 feet. Harrison opened it on Memorial Day 2010; it sold its one-millionth ticket in 2022.
The move: Take the 45-minute drive up Boulder Canyon to Nederland, arrive when it opens, and pick your animals together — the mermaid and the gorilla are a natural pair. After riding, browse the upstairs puppet theater and record a story in the Story Catcher Booth, then grab coffee at the adjacent train-car cafe.
📍 Before you go Open year-round but hours vary by season: Memorial Day through Labor Day, daily 11am–5pm (Fri–Sun from 10am); fall through spring, Thu–Mon 10am–5pm, closed Tue–Wed. Last ride at 4:45pm. Rides are $3 each or $25 for 10. No reservations needed for walk-in rides. Parking is free in the Caribou Village lot. The building is indoors and heated, so weather is not a factor. Pets not allowed inside. At 8,200 feet — take it easy if you're coming from sea level.
- 📍 Nederland
- 💸 Free
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Outdoors
Where: 20 Lakeview Dr, Nederland, CO 80466 (Caribou Village Shopping Center, off CO-119)
Hours: Added 2026-06-11 — confirm current hours before you go.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Proof: source 1 · source 2 · source 3 · source 4
last checked: 2026-06-11