Buffalo Heritage Carousel changes its ticketing policy

The Canalside waterfront attraction will now ask people to pay what they can, with $1 being the minimum.

“One of the priorities of this institution has always been to make this ride very, very accessible,” said board member Mark DePalma. “Until now, we’ve been charging $1 per ride, a flat fee for everyone. But we recognize that running this carousel costs a little more, so we’re moving to a donation-based ticket model, in which we ask people to pay what they can, with a minimum of one dollar, and pay it forward.”

Two people who played key roles in the creation of the solar-powered carousel were also honored with a plaque on the carousel wall.

Joan Bozer worked for years to see her dream of a solar-powered carousel come true in 2021, and Walter Simpson was a champion of alternative energy as chief energy officer at the University at Buffalo. Both founded the Western New York Sustainable Energy Association.

“We’re going to put this plaque up so everyone understands that these two people played a pivotal role in this amazing, environmentally focused, forward-thinking carousel,” said board member Marika Woods-Frankenstein .