LeRoy King Carousel

What you need to know

A 1906 Hand-Carved Carousel in SoMa

The LeRoy King Carousel at Yerba Buena Gardens was built in 1906 by Danish-American carver Charles I.D. Looff, who built the first carousel at Coney Island in 1876. Each of its roughly 65 animals (horses, dragons, cats, reindeer, and others) is hand-carved and hand-painted. The carousel was originally intended for an amusement park at Van Ness and Market, but the 1906 earthquake and fire derailed those plans. It spent years at Seattle’s Luna Park and then nearly 60 years at Playland-at-the-Beach before the San Francisco Redevelopment Agency bought it in 1998 and installed it at Yerba Buena Gardens.

What to Expect

The carousel is housed inside a glass-walled pavilion at the edge of the Yerba Buena Gardens children’s area, visible even when closed. A ride takes about three minutes and costs $3. Adults can ride too.

It pairs naturally with other Yerba Buena attractions: the gardens themselves, SFMOMA across the street, and the Children’s Creativity Museum next door.

Visiting

Hours: Daily 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM (hours vary seasonally)

Cost: $3 per ride

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

What to know: 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.