Ever wonder what a carousel ride felt like over a century ago? Here at the Letenský kolotoč, you can experience just that. Letenský kolotoč is no ordinary carousel. It’s the oldest preserved carousel in Europe, a whirling time capsule dating back to 1892. Built by Matěj Bílek for Josef Nebeský, it first delighted riders in Královské Vinohrady. Then, in 1894, it found its permanent home here on Letná. Imagine a time before electricity, when a man would walk in circles beneath the carousel floor, pushing a strut to set the horses in motion. That’s how Letenský kolotoč originally operated. Later, a mechanical system replaced the human-powered one, and eventually, an electric motor took over in the 1930s.
The carousel’s neo-Renaissance pavilion, a twelve-sided structure with wooden planks and a pyramidal roof, is the original one from 1892. The roof, once covered in sheet metal with gargoyles, reaches a height of 7.7 meters. Inside, nineteen horses of varying sizes, stuffed with straw and covered in real horsehide, await their riders. Four of these horses, Poly, Flora, Blesk, and Šemík, still retain their original saddles and bridles. In the 1930s, four small cars, modeled after the Aero 30, joined the horses, offering a different kind of ride. At the center, a decorated central column featuring three carved horsemen rises towards the ceiling. Originally, a Dalibor orchestrion, made by p. Klepetář in Prague, provided the music, but it was sadly stolen in 1994, along with the original bell. A similar orchestrion, the Atlantic, built in Leipzig in 1910, now fills the air with music.
In 2004, the National Technical Museum acquired Letenský kolotoč in a critical state of disrepair. Thanks to extensive renovations completed in 2022, which cost around 23 million crowns, this historic carousel is once again open to the public. Both children and adults can experience the thrill of riding on these historic horses or in the vintage cars. Just remember, there’s a weight limit of 100 kg! So step aboard Letenský kolotoč and take a spin through history. You’re not just on a carousel; you’re riding through time.