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Ribbon Cut For New Jane's Carousel At Brooklyn Bridge Park

NEW YORK (WCBS 880) - After decades in the making, there is now a new attraction at Brooklyn Bridge Park.

WCBS 880's Marla Diamond On The Story

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One of the lucky first to ride Jane's Carousel following its ribbon cutting on Thursday was 8-year-old Ethan Lehrer of Manhattan.

"I think it looks sort of old-fashioned but it looks good. I think it looks great," he said.

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The restoration of the 1922 wooden merry-go-round was a labor of love for artist Jane Walentas.

Jane's Carousel
Jane's Carousel at Brooklyn Bridge Park - Brooklyn, NY - Sep 15, 2011 (credit: Marla Diamond / WCBS 880)

"My hope when I started working on it was that I could leave it all in original paint, but the horses were really in too rough shape," she said.

Walentas bought the 48-horse carousel at auction in 1984 for what she thinks was $385,000. She estimates having put  several million dollars of work into it.

It took Walentas 22 years to restore and another 2 years to move the ride from a warehouse on Water Street.

"Everybody is pretty awed by it, including me," she said.

The carousel is housed in a glass pavilion designed by Pritzker Prize winning French architect Jean Nouvel.

Jane's Carousel will be open daily, except Tuesdays, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Tickets are $2 per ride; children under three years old or under 42 inches in height ride for free with a paying adult.  Fees will go towards maintaining the carousel.

Click here to learn more about Jane's Carousel.

What's your favorite merry-go-round in the city? Sound off below!

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