The Vestal Town Board is happy to announce that we plan to build a carousel in Arnold Park. The parts of an original 1917 Herschell carousel were generously donated to the Town of Vestal in 2025 by The Old Village of Union Historical Society, in memory of Ted Warner. Thanks to the work of Jeremiah Barnard (Vestal Park Supervisor), Tom Sullivan (Vestal Town Engineer), and Donnie Younker (Vestal Highway Superintendent) a plan has been developed to build the carousel.

The Vestal Carousel will be built and restored as we receive the necessary donations.  If we want a carousel in Vestal, we need to do this together as a community.  This project must be entirely funded by grants and donations. $550,000 in State grants have been obtained, a community fund has promised $90,000, and the Town has received $22,555 in individual private donations. A total of $662,555. This is approximately half the expected project cost. Thankfully, a group of energetic (and enthusiastic) volunteers have formed a non-profit (the Friends of the Vestal Carousel) to raise the remainder of the required money. The Friends of the Vestal Carousel and the Vestal Town Comptroller will share the project financial information (donations and expenditures) with each other on a regular basis to ensure transparency and integrity. If you wish to make a donation for the Vestal Carousel, please donate to the Friends of the Vestal Carousel directly. If you have already made a donation to the Town, the money will be transferred to the Friends of the Vestal Carousel so that you receive a tax deduction for your contribution. Each donor that has already made a donation will receive a confirmation email containing the tax information that he/she will need to claim the deduction. Thank you to everyone who has donated so far! We hope that all our residents and businesses will consider contributing what they can.   

A free carousel in Arnold Park would be a wonderful addition to our community, for our families today and many generations to come.  Our Town personnel are ready to build and restore it.  If we, as a community, pull together to fund it, we can make it a reality.

if you missed the last Town of Vestal website article on the Vestal Carousel, please see below for more information on the project.

If you would like to make a donation to help build the Vestal Carousel, please donate directly to the Friends of the Vestal Carousel.

The Friends of the Vestal Carousel:

• Facebook (www.facebook.com/vestalcarousel) 

• Instagram (@vestalcarousel)

• To receive a free monthly email newsletter, send your email address to: vestalcarousel@gmail.com with the subject line "newsletter request."

To contact them by email:

Co-chairs: vestalcarousel@gmail.com

Treasurer: treasurer.fovc@gmail.com 

To mail a donation:

Friends of the Vestal Carousel

c/o The Pad Climbing Binghamton

2220 Vestal Road

Vestal, NY 13850

Please make checks payable to: Friends of the Vestal Carousel.

Thank you to all the volunteers in the Friends of the Vestal Carousel, working to make the Vestal Carousel a reality!

If you missed the last Town of Vestal website article on the Vestal Carousel, here is more information on the project:

• The carousel will be built in Arnold Park and will be open seasonally.  Arnold Park is a great location because it has a playground, sports fields, hiking trails, a large parking lot, and bathrooms. Physically, the park covers almost 100 acres, has a level area to build, has electricity, and is not in a flood zone.  Families would be able to go to the park, enjoy all these activities, and ride the carousel.  All for free. The park also has gazebos that can be rented for family gatherings.

• The carousel will be free, forever.

• The carousel is a full-size carousel, with 36 horses and two chariots. All of the original wood parts (horses, chariots, and ornamental pieces) will be restored.

• The carousel was designed to be a traveling carousel, put together at each location and taken apart when relocated. All the pieces are specially designed to prevent breakage in transit. Although it was originally designed to travel, the carousel will now be built as a permanent structure in Arnold Park.

• There will be a specially designed unique protective structure over the carousel (like a gazebo). The structure will have roll-down windows that function like garage doors but will be made of clear security glass, protecting the carousel in off hours.  The panels may also be rolled down during inclement weather to protect the riders from rain or wind. 

• The original wood pieces will be restored, missing pieces replaced, and all parts inspected to ensure structural integrity and reliability.

• Town personnel will be doing as much of the work as possible, but a lot of work must be contracted out. 

• All donations, large or small, will be greatly appreciated.  Donations of $100 or more will receive permanent, inscribed, recognition.

• Families, individuals, or businesses that contribute $10,000 or more will be able to be the sole sponsor of a horse or a chariot. Their name will be inscribed near the horse/chariot, they will be invited to participate in the ribbon cutting ceremony, and will be able to have a person take the first ride on the carousel. 

• We can only build this project if we receive enough donations.  While large donations are absolutely needed to make the project possible, we hope that all our residents and businesses will contribute what they can.    All donors will be able to show the inscription to their family members, as they visit the carousel, for generations to come.

Have a great day!