Budget-friendlyTheme Parks & Rides
Dorothea Laub Balboa Park Carousel
San Diego, CA
$4 per ride or 4 for $14
By Simir Shah
A 1910 Herschell-Spillman menagerie carousel with original hand-carved animals and band organ, and one of the few left where outer-ring riders can grab for the brass ring to win a free ride. It's next to the San Diego Zoo entrance and the miniature train. Rides are free for everyone on National Carousel Day, July 25. Balboa Park lots and meters are paid daily 8am–6pm through Dec 31, 2026 (verified City residents park free in general lots); paid parking ends Jan 1, 2027.
Good for
- Ages 10+
Happening near here
- San Diego Zoo HalGLOWeenSan Diego · <1 mi
- Spreckels Organ Pavilion Sunday ConcertsSan Diego · <1 mi · Sundays 2pm (one hour)Free
- Little Italy MercatoSan Diego · 2 mi · Sat 8am–2pmFree
- Summer Movies in the ParkSan Diego · 2 mi · Sat duskFree
San Diego city depth 2026Carousel
Map
Nearby places
San Diego Natural History MuseumSan Diego · Museums & Learning<1 miBalboa Park Miniature TrainSan Diego · Theme Parks & Rides<1 miBalboa ParkSan Diego · Parks & Hiking<1 miSan Diego ZooSan Diego · Animals & Nature<1 miSpanish Village Art CenterSan Diego · Arts & Culture<1 miSan Diego Museum of ArtSan Diego · Arts & Culture<1 mi
Keep planning
Eat nearby in San Diego
- Corvette DinerBurgers & American · $$ · kids menu
- Buona ForchettaPizza & Italian · $$
- Hodad'sBurgers & American · $
- Lucha Libre Taco ShopMexican & Tacos · $