The Watch Hill Improvement Society began its stewardship of the beloved Merry-Go-Round in 1948, led by Harriet C. Moore. The WHMLIS partners with the Watch Hill Fire District to preserve, restore, and maintain this treasure in our beachside town.

Legend has it that the Merry-Go-Round was brought to Watch Hill by a traveling carnival between 1879 and 1883 and abandoned. It is believed that the horses were created by one-time hobby horse makers turned carousel makers Andrew Christian and Charles W.F. Dare of New York in the late 1860s. The 20 carved wood horses are suspended from a revolving super-structure on steel rods and sheltered by a dodecagonal hip roof on field stone columns that also support sections of white painted picket fencing.  One of the oldest carousels in the United States, the Watch Hill Merry-Go-Round is the only flying horse carousel surviving in the country.

Riding the flying horses at the Watch Hill Merry-Go-Round is a tradition enjoyed by generations of children. As part of our mission to restore and improve the Village of Watch Hill, The WHMLIS is proud to have spearheaded several fundraising campaigns over the years and continues to contribute significant resources annually towards the maintenance and restoration of these beloved horses.