Forest Park Carousel
Why it's listed
A carousel built in 1903 by D.C. Muller and Brother Company stands near the center of Forest Park in Woodhaven, Queens. It was first made for a park in Massachusetts and was moved to Queens in 1972, taking the site of a Dentzel carousel destroyed by fire in 1966. It carries 52 carved figures, including 36 jumpers, 13 standers, three menagerie animals and two chariots, plus its original Ruth band organ. Daniel Muller, a German-born carver trained at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, is regarded as one of the finest carousel carvers. His horses show the Philadelphia style, with realistic forms, tucked heads, wind-blown manes and detailed military trappings. His company built only a small number of carousels, and this is one of two known to survive. Its figures all remain original, which is unusual. The open pavilion, scenery panels and painted rounding boards are later work from the 1988 restoration and 2002 repainting, but the structure, motor, organ and figures are original.
Significance in brief: The carousel is a representative early twentieth century machine and a rare surviving work of master carver Daniel C. Muller. It is the more intact of only two known surviving carousels built by the Muller company. All of its original 52 figures survive, which is unusual, and they show the Philadelphia style of carving.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 04000706, listed July 16, 2004. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Woodhaven Blvd. and Myrtle Ave., Woodhaven |
|---|---|
| County | Queens |
| Listed | July 16, 2004 |
| Reference number | 04000706 |
| Resource type | Structure |
| Period of significance | 1903 |
| Architect / builder | Muller, D.C. |
| Architectural style | No style |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Entertainment/Recreation, Art |
| Level of significance | National |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Restored in 1988 and reopened 4 July 1989; substantially intact, with a non-historic 1988 pavilion and replacement scenery panels and rounding boards. Described as in service in Forest Park. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 40.70088, -73.85824 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For a publicly owned building or structure, listing mainly matters when federal funds, permits or licences are involved: projects then go through Section 106 review so effects on the property are considered. Listing also strengthens applications for preservation grants and, for leased income-producing uses, can enable the federal rehabilitation tax credit.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 04000706.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5469051
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.