Solar-Powered Buffalo Heritage Carousel Summer Season Launches

Saturday is going to be quite a day at Canalside. Along with the official dedication of the Erie Canal’s Seneca Chief, the solar-powered Buffalo Heritage Carousel will officially open for the season. This will be the fourth summer that the carousel will be in action, as an integral part of the continuing legacy of the Buffalo waterfront. The grand opening will take place Saturday at 12:30 p.m. in the historic Russell J. Salvatore Corner of the Carousel.

The Carousel, housed in the award-winning and sustainably-built KeyBank Roundhouse, is 1 of only 5 solar-powered carousels in the world. 

Along with the opening of the summer carousel season, there will be many other reasons to celebrate and participate in the ceremonies. The Carousel will honor its late founder, Joan Bozer, whose vision of a solar carousel was so “original” that many people did not believe her dream/vision was possible. Of course, Joan moved forward at breakneck speed and accomplished this incredible feat in a short period of time.

Cutting-edge solar technology is provided by the only commercially-installed Tesla solar roof, manufactured using locally-made solar shingles.

Saturday will also be the day the carousel’s new ticketing policy goes into effect. Instead of paying $1 per ride, which is just a drop in the ocean when it comes to maintaining and operating the ride, ticket prices will now be based on donations.

2024 marks a century since the carousel was built in WNY, which is another great reason to celebrate Canalside Saturday. Visitors are invited to attend the grand celebration, which will include the following:

• The Carrousel will honor its late founder, Joan Bozer, and her colleague and first supporter of the Carrousel, the late Walter Simpson, by dedicating a commemorative plaque.
• New York State Senator Sean Ryan will be a guest speaker at the Solar Carousel Season Kickoff.
• The magnificent Menagerie Carousel will celebrate its centennial…100 years since it was custom built in North Tonawanda, New York in 1924.
• Merchandise discounts will be offered all weekend to visitors who register as members and merchandise raffles will be held throughout the day.
• Visitors will now be encouraged to pay what they can and ‘pay it forward’ in a bid to boost fundraising efforts.

Opening days/hours:

Memorial Weekend Hours: Saturday – Monday, 11:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Summer hours*: Wednesday to Saturday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sundays, 11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Closed Mondays and Tuesdays *Summer hours extend through Labor Day

Click here to learn more about the carousel.

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The Solar-Powered Buffalo Heritage Carousel, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation, owns and operates a historic park-style menagerie carousel at Canalside in Buffalo. Its mission is to demonstrate, in real time, the power of renewable energy to operate a historic, locally manufactured and restored carousel, providing education, joy and hope to children and individuals of all ages and to generations to come. Designed and manufactured in 1924 by Spillman Engineering, N. Tonawanda, NY, the carousel was reopened in 2021 after a careful restoration process by area artists, then updated with a Tesla solar roof and encased in the KeyBank Rotunda , an award-winning monument. building made from sustainable materials. One of only five solar-powered carousels in the world, this community and tourism asset has been called the “jewel atop the canal’s crown.” Located at the terminus of the Erie Canal, it has provided affordable enjoyment to hundreds of thousands of visitors, while celebrating Western New York’s leadership in historic preservation; its history of carousel manufacturing and its legacy of leadership in the use of renewable energy since the first transmission of hydroelectric power from Niagara Falls to Buffalo.