Playtime’s over for free carousel rides

If you want to ride Toofus the Tiger’s back, he won’t bite, but it’ll cost ya.

Toofus and… If you want to ride Toofus the Tiger’s back, he won’t bite, but it’ll cost ya.

Toofus and his fellow carousel characters Pitt the Panther, Oscar the Ostrich, Nancy the Elephant and 11 others have given free rides to Schenley Plaza carousel-goers every afternoon since its opening in 2006.

Now, however, maintenance costs have outpaced donations from the carousel’s principle sponsor, PNC, and its other donors, making free rides a thing of the past.

Schenley Plaza manager Jim Griffin said PNC sets aside several hundred thousand dollars to keep the carousel running smoothly.

“We will utilize the funding very quickly,” Griffin said.

“The carousel is greased weekly to maintain equipment. It also passes daily inspections, as well as those given by the state of Pennsylvania.

“It does cost a lot of money, and it’s important for us to maintain it for a long life,” he said.

Blair McCauley, one of the carousel operators and a recent Pitt graduate, said she noticed a strong negative reaction to the discontinuation of the free rides from both kids and parents.

“Many parents were unaware of the change to charging for rides in the afternoon, and the regulars are no longer able to take advantage of unlimited rides,” she said.

“Kids demand to know why they cannot ride or cannot ride repeatedly.

“There has been some crying and a few tantrums, but most just turn away disappointed.”

However, if the park is able to accumulate more money for the carousel, Griffin said that there exists the possibility that free rides could return in the future.

Although the operators themselves witnessed unhappy feedback from riders, he received only one e-mail regarding the issue.

“We had very generous donations from several organizations and foundations, but the amount was used up,” said Griffin.

“We extended it as long as we could. It was really popular for young families and kids, but in order to maintain it and keep providing it, we need the funding and the revenue.”

Carousel courts student riders

With its 16 mirrors, rows of yellow light bulbs, shiny golden posts and wooden floor, the $300,000 PNC carousel, which was made in Kansas City, resides next to the Schenley Plaza Oval and attracts approximately 500 riders each day.

In fact, Griffin said the June 27 WYEP concert brought the daily total up to 2,000 riders.

In addition to PNC, Griffin also added that other people donated as much as $10,000 to $20,000 for the naming rights of a particular animal, and these names will never change.

Riders can see the donors’ names, as well as the names of the animals on a bronze plaque on the floor of the carousel beside each animal.

To ride the carousel, each person must possess a golden token that can be purchased two different ways.

Four or more tokens can be purchased from a machine at the carousel’s entrance, which is credit card friendly, or riders can obtain single tokens at the Asia Tea House kiosk within the plaza. Each token costs $1.25.

Tantrums aside, the carousel’s recent tight funding did little to slow the demand for rides from parents, children and students.

“Riders are typically kids, with or without their parents,” said McCauley.

“A lot of families stop by after visiting the Carnegie Museum or the library, and some are just out for a day in the park, she said.

“Occasionally, there are some student riders – mostly students who vowed to ride the carousel before leaving Pittsburgh, or those who are just bored in Oakland.

“I had a tour come through once, and there have also been several couples taking engagement photos,” said McCauley.

Since its conversion from a parking lot to a plaza lawn in 2006, Pitt students have come to see Schenley Plaza as an extension of the campus, a sentiment Griffin encourages.

“We want to have a green space for Pitt students since it’s such an urban campus,” he said.

“We try to keep it nice and safe, and we welcome and encourage them to come down.”

McCauley, a Pitt graduate, not only visited the carousel, she got a job there.

“It’s part-time, laid back, low pressure, little responsibility and outside,” she said.

“That was exactly what I was looking for in a summer job. I also had a friend who worked there last year, so I knew what to expect. I try to get some studying and reading in when it’s slow.”

When she opens the carousel around 10 a.m., some of McCauley’s responsibilities include lifting and clipping up the tarp, uncovering the animals and doing a test run.

Throughout the day, she collects tokens, lifts children on and off animals and operates the carousel.

At 8 p.m. when she closes, she covers the animals back up and clips the tarp.

Carousel operators also possess the luxury of choosing their own music to play, Griffin said.

On any given day, riders can experience anything from marching band music and smooth jazz to Norah Jones and the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

“For the most part, it’s very fulfilling,” she said.

“The kids are so happy and carefree. Their biggest concern in the world is whether or not they get their animal of choice.”