LeRoy King Carousel

📍 💰 $

The Verdict

"A few dollars per ride. Inside the glass pavilion at Yerba Buena Gardens near 4th and Howard. The hand-carved animals date to 1906. Good for kids, charming for adults. Open daily."

Leroy carousel sf

What you need to know

A Hand-Carved 1906 Carousel in SoMa

The LeRoy King Carousel at Yerba Buena Gardens was built in 1906 by master carver Charles I.D. Looff, who also created the first carousel at Coney Island. Each of its 62 animals (horses, dragons, cats, reindeer, and others) is hand-carved and hand-painted. The carousel operated at various locations before finding its permanent home at Yerba Buena Gardens in SoMa.

What Makes It Worth It

The craftsmanship is the draw. Looff’s carvings are detailed and expressive: flared nostrils on the horses, intricate saddle work, individual feathers on the birds. The carousel is housed inside a glass-walled pavilion at the edge of the Yerba Buena Gardens children’s area, making it visible even when closed.

A ride takes about three minutes. It costs a few dollars. Kids love it, obviously, but the carousel is worth a look for anyone who appreciates early 20th-century craftsmanship. The painted panels and carved figures are museum-quality woodwork spinning in a circle.

Best combined with other Yerba Buena attractions: the gardens, SFMOMA across the street, the Children’s Creativity Museum next door.

Skip this if you’re not traveling with kids and hand-carved carousels don’t interest you.

Visiting

Address: 221 4th Street, Yerba Buena Gardens, SoMa

Hours: Generally daily, 11:00 AM-5:00 PM (hours vary seasonally)

Cost: $4 per ride

Best time to go: Weekday afternoons when the line is short or nonexistent.

What to know: Adults can ride too. The carousel is inside a climate-controlled pavilion, so weather doesn’t matter.

Getting There

Transit: BART or Muni Metro to Powell Station, 5-minute walk. Muni 30-Stockton or 45-Union stop nearby.

Parking: 5th & Mission garage or Moscone Center garage. Both are within a block.

Walking: In Yerba Buena Gardens, adjacent to SFMOMA, the Metreon, and Moscone Center.

📍 Location: This activity is in SoMa. Explore the neighborhood →

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