5-year wait is over: Seaside Heights, NJ attraction is coming back

SEASIDE HEIGHTS — More than 5 years since its last spin for the public, a century-old carousel is ready to make its comeback.

According to Seaside Heights, the Floyd L. Moreland Carousel will be open to the public starting on Wednesday, July 3, following years of maintenance.

It's scheduled for a 6 p.m. opening ahead of the July 4 holiday.

The ride's full schedule will be published soon, borough officials said.

Due to a drop in ridership and excessive maintenance costs, Casino Pier announced in 2014 that they planned to sell the carousel. Seaside Heights took ownership of the ride in 2017, in exchange for a stretch of beach, which allowed the pier to build on the sand.

The last time the public got a chance to ride the carousel was in 2019.

According to Asbury Park Press, the ride was meticulously restored by a company in Ohio and then returned to Seaside Heights in July 2023. Since then, it's been reassembled at its home between Sampson and Carteret avenues.

The public was able to get a glimpse of the refurbished merry-go-round on Dec. 9, 2023 — the carousel pavilion at the north end of the boardwalk was open during the borough's tree-lighting ceremony.

Late last year, officials were hoping to get the carousel up and running for the public in May of this year.

The 113-year-old carousel first came to Seaside Heights in 1932, from Burlington County.

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