Geelong’s ever-popular Waterfront Carousel is now open for longer hours, giving locals and tourists alike more opportunities to visit the historic landmark.
The new opening hours, which went into effect in July, see the carousel open Monday to Friday from 10.30am to 4.30pm and 10.30am to 5pm on weekends all year round.
Thousands residents and visitors alike visit the carousel each year, many to access its Visitor Information Centre, which serviced over 21,000 people in the 2022-23 financial year.
The carousel also hosts private functions, including wedding ceremonies and receptions, photo shoots and corporate functions.
Manufactured by the Armitage-Herschell company of New York circa 1892, the carousel was painstakingly restored in the late 1990s over a three-year period through a partnership between the City of Greater Geelong and the Victorian state government.
With 36 horses, each taking around 300 hours to return to their former glory, the restoration project involved thousands of hours of research and workmanship.
Deputy Mayor Anthony Aitken said the site had become one of the Geelong Waterfront’s premier landmarks since its restoration.
“The Carousel has become a much-loved part of our Geelong Waterfront since its restoration and installation by the Steam Packet Development Board in the 1990s,” Deputy Mayor Aitken said.
“The Carousel holds many memories including for myself, as I was married there in 2003 and I do hope that tourists will make a stop at this beautifully restored feature part of their journey through Geelong.”
