Iconic Seaside Heights Carousel Returns To Service

SEASIDE HEIGHTS – For generations, Ocean County residents and visitors to the shore enjoyed the Floyd Moreland Carousel on the borough boardwalk. It was a Jersey Shore landmark of fun and its recent return to service was celebrated by county and town officials who joined several hundred people at its new location on the boardwalk.

It had been carefully and painstakingly removed in December of 2019 from the Casino Pier Arcade under the watchful eye of its owner, Dr. Floyd L. Moreland, 82, who was among the smiling members of the crowd present for the reactivation of the 114-year-old attraction now based at the north end of the world-famous borough boardwalk.

The Ocean County Board of Commissioners joined with Seaside Heights officials and members of partnering organizations in celebration of the long-awaited reopening after its restoration. For the last nine years, Seaside Heights has worked with volunteers to restore the Wurlitzer organ, carousel and carvings to refurbish the mechanics.

Local artist Marie deSaules refurbished many of the horses that had sustained damage over the years to bring the carousel back to life. Deputy Director of the Ocean County Board of Commissioners Gary Quinn and Ocean County Commissioner Frank Sadeghi were part of the first group of riders to spin along the refurbished merry-go-round in Seaside Heights during a ribbon cutting ceremony.

The Commissioners joined with Dr. Moreland, Seaside Heights Mayor Anthony Vaz, members of Seaside Heights Borough Council, Seaside Heights Public Works Department employees, Seaside Heights Historical Society trustees and New Jersey Department of Community Affairs Commissioner Jacquelyn A. Suarez.

Seaside Heights Borough Administrator Christopher Vaz was the unofficial ride operator for the day. The new carousel house will also feature a museum of Seaside Heights history, which is expected to open at a future date.

Moreland first operated the historic Dentzel/Looff carousel as a teenager when he was in school and continued to do so for more than three decades. “When my name was put on that horse – that was one of my favorite horses according to my grandfather when I was a kid – I thought I died and gone to heaven and he’s the lead horse,” Moreland remarked.

Moreland helped save the iconic attraction, which first started rotating in the 1930s, from being sold. A $2.5 million restoration project took shape that includes the new carousel building and a future museum.

That process involved the carousel removal with some pieces being placed in a commercial storage facility and others being transported to Ohio for restoration. The horses, carriages and other features were repainted. Only one firm, Carousels and Carvings of Marion, Ohio, does this specialized type of work and as a result it had a backlog.

During the process, Borough Administrator Christopher Vaz was able to visit the restoration facility in Ohio during an unrelated trip.

“They have been great,” Moreland said of Todd W. Goings, who heads Carousels and Carvings, and who is well known in the industry. “Not too many people do this type of work but they number everything, they’re very meticulous,” he told The Toms River Times.

With the hand-crafted animals restored and re-assembled, the attraction was ready for rides in time for the Fourth of July holiday. Rides cost just $4 for adults and kids under 42 inches tall are free at its new home along Sampson Avenue and Ocean Terrace.

Mayor Anthony Vaz previously told The Toms River Times that the borough had“received two matching grants at $750,000 each, one for the merry-go-round and one for construction of the new Carousel Pavilion. Seaside Heights now has a historical society that Floyd is a big part of and this new facility will serve as a museum.”

The grants were provided by the Garden State Preservation Trust and the Green Acres Local Assistance Program.

Moreland knows that the carousel is a nostalgic part of boardwalk entertainment and history that holds a very special place in the hearts of those who use it. It doesn’t move fast but provides a thrill as it takes you into a circle as you ride on a horse that brings you up and down as old-time organ music plays.

The good doctor said that “no one can put a price on the many memories a rider has had or the memories that are yet to come. Many other attractions on the borough boardwalk like the Jet Star/Star Jet rollercoaster were designed to bring a different kind of thrill with screams and fast movement. They make you scream and get you frightened, but this attraction can be anything or anywhere you want,” he said.

Seaside Heights will operate the ride, but it will always be in the name of the college professor who saved it from destruction, for generations to come.

“This to me is a symbol of a kinder world. The world we are living in now is far too nasty world. It’s hateful, and we need things like this to bring us back to kindness,” Moreland remarked.