Still Spinning Since the 1890s
The Perkasie Carousel & Menlo Park
A hand-carved antique carousel that still runs on summer Sundays — with rides priced like the century it came from.
The Perkasie Carousel in Menlo Park is one of the oldest operating carousels in the United States — a hand-carved machine dating to the 1890s that has spun generations of Bucks County kids under the same pavilion roof. Run by the Perkasie Historical Society's volunteers on summer Sunday afternoons, it keeps its rides famously cheap on purpose: this is community heritage, not a tourist trap.
Menlo Park around it is the borough's gathering place — pool, playgrounds, and concert lawns — and a short walk along the creek reaches Lenape Park, where the 1832 South Perkasie Covered Bridge stands preserved, complete with its original sign threatening a five-dollar fine for crossing faster than a walk.
Official website ↗Family & Attractions
Riding a piece of history
Carousels like this one mostly vanished decades ago — sold, burned, or parted out to collectors. Perkasie kept its machine because the town treated it as an heirloom: the historical society restored it, volunteers run it, and ride proceeds keep it turning. Summer Sundays under the pavilion have a genuine time-capsule quality, calliope music included.
The carousel anchors Menlo Park's bigger role as Perkasie's summer living room — the aquatic center, playgrounds, and concerts keep the park busy from Memorial Day through the fall festival season.
Family & Attractions
The covered bridge in Lenape Park
A creek-side walk connects to Lenape Park and the South Perkasie Covered Bridge, built in 1832 and moved into the park for preservation in the 1950s when road traffic outgrew it. It is one of the county's dozen surviving covered bridges and by far the easiest to visit — no back-road hunting required.
Together, the carousel and the bridge give Perkasie a pair of landmarks most small towns would trade their water tower for — and both are free or nearly free family outings, which tells you a lot about the borough's values.
Questions People Ask
The Perkasie Carousel & Menlo Park — frequently asked questions
How old is the Perkasie Carousel?
The Perkasie Carousel dates to the 1890s, making it one of the oldest operating carousels in the United States. It is owned and operated by the Perkasie Historical Society in Menlo Park.
When does the Perkasie Carousel run?
The carousel typically operates on Sunday afternoons from late spring through early fall, staffed by historical society volunteers, with rides kept at nominal prices. Check the Perkasie Historical Society's schedule for current dates.
Where is the South Perkasie Covered Bridge?
The 1832 South Perkasie Covered Bridge stands preserved in Lenape Park in Perkasie, PA, a short walk from Menlo Park. It was moved there in the 1950s to save it from demolition and is one of Bucks County's twelve surviving covered bridges.
What else is at Menlo Park in Perkasie?
Menlo Park includes the borough's aquatic center, playgrounds, pavilions, and lawns that host summer concerts and community events — it functions as Perkasie's central gathering place.
Want The Perkasie Carousel & Menlo Park in your daily life?
I help buyers land in Perkasie and the neighborhoods around it — and I know which streets put places like this in your weekly routine.
