Bill Brown holding the coveted brass ring while perched on his favorite animal (By Frank Sabatini Jr.)

There is More to Balboa Park’s Carousel Than Meets the Eye, as We Learned From Longtime Ride Manager Bill Brown 

By Frank Sabatini Jr.

Mission Hills resident Bill Brown has enjoyed a close relationship with the Dorthea Laub Balboa Park Carousel for more than a half century. His bond with the 110-year-old ride remains strong throughout a life of constant upkeep and refurbishing that Brown diligently oversees.

Owned by the non-profit Forever Balboa Park, the carousel falls under the protective management of Brown, who fell in love with the ride as a kid when his parents would take him to the park for an occasional 10-cent spin. In his later youth, Brown became a ride operator. He then climbed the ladder to manager—his dream job that came true.

We caught up with Brown for an onsite chat just after the carousel got briefly shut down to make way for a new fire-suppression system. The

installation will be complete on May 9, and the ride will resume operation immediately thereafter.

Note: Visitors can enjoy free rides from 11:00a to 5:30p on July 25 in celebration of National Carousel Day. 

Downtown Condo Guys: Where does your history with the carousel begin?

Brown: Every time my parents took me to the carousel when I was a kid, I always saw how much fun the workers were having. Then one day I asked a lady working at the ticket box how old someone has to be to work here. She said 16. So shortly after my 16th birthday in 1972, I started working at the carousel by assisting customers on and off the ride and putting out the brass ring game. I eventually made my way up to operator, and finally to manager.

Downtown Condo Guys: What is the ‘brass ring game?’

Brown: We are one of only a dozen carousels left in the country that still plays it. As you sit on the outside row of animals, which do not go up and down, you pass an arm that sticks out toward the carousel from the sidelines. Metal rings are stacked onto the arm. One of them is brass, the rest are silver. As passengers go by the arm they can grab a ring. If they get the brass ring, their next ride is free.

Downtown Condo Guys: How much does the ride normally cost? And how long does it last?

Brown: It’s $4 a ride—or $14 for four rides. Each ride lasts five minutes. It runs at full speed for three of those minutes. We still use an egg timer from start to finish, just like they did in the old days. We also still play the ride’s original military-band songs that come from an old, wooden pipe organ using paper rolls.

Downtown Condo Guys: At what speed does the carousel revolve?

Brown: The ride only has one speed, which is 13 mph. It’s a little faster than most carousels made today, which go at 7 mph. Before roller coasters came around, carousels like ours were considered thrill rides. Nearly 99 percent of the machinery on this carousel is original, including the General Electric 10-horsepower motor.

Downtown Condo Guys: Do you ever have to stop the ride because children become too frightened?

Brown: No. But a lot of first-time kids get very nervous before the ride starts. Some of them cry. Although as soon as the ride gets going, they get very happy. And then they cry when the ride stops because they had so much fun. It’s a common thing.

Downtown Condo Guys: How many passengers does the carousel seat?

Brown: There are 52 animals made from the wood of linden trees, and four benches. In total the ride holds 64 people.

Downtown Condo Guys: What is your favorite seat on the ride?

Brown: It’s a black-and-white horse on the outside row that was my lucky seat as a kid for grabbing the brass ring. And it’s still here.

Downtown Condo Guys: How often is the carousel refurbished?

Brown: It’s always an ongoing process. We restore about four animals a year with the help of volunteers who have to carefully remove layers of paint before repainting them to their original colors.

In 2020 we were closed for 14 months because of Covid. During that time we replaced 144 light bulb sockets. We also reinstalled 72 light fixtures that were removed 100 years ago to reduce the strain of the wiring back then. It now looks exactly like it did in 1910.

Downtown Condo Guys: Who funds the carousel?

Brown: We’re a non-profit, so we receive a lot of our money from generous donors. One of them was philanthropist Dorthea Laub, who donated $1 million around 2017. That’s when we named the carousel after her. Also, Forever Balboa Park raises donations for the carousel, and money from ticket sales also goes into our operations.

Downtown Condo Guys: Have any famous people ever boarded the ride under your watch?

Brown: Back in the 70s there was a Dean Martin Christmas special filmed at the carousel with Dean Martin, Shirley Jones, Dom DeLuise, and Ruth Buzzi. During the production, I had to stand and manually hold the clutch to slow down the carousel because it was going so fast that the actors’ faces were blurred while filming. Other than that, we’ve had a lot of well-known local politicians and minor celebrities who I can’t even remember.

Downtown Condo Guys: What are the biggest challenges of your job?

Brown: Keeping the machinery going. You have to be like a detective to figure out what’s going on when there’s a malfunction. I’ve learned a lot since I first started.

Downtown Condo Guys: Biggest rewards?

Brown: It’s a fun atmosphere. That’s why I’ve been here 52 years.