The carousel took a place of prominence near ... In it, Van Gompel tells the story of how Fred W. Pearce opened the Excelsior Amusement Park in 1925 as the Twin Cities was booming in the Roaring ...

Some of the Excelsior Amusement Park rides ended up at Valleyfair, although just one — the century-old carousel — is still operating, said Van Gompel. Contrary to an enduring urban myth ...

On a spring evening in 1957, customers thronged to ride on the roller coaster or try a carnival game. (William Seaman) ...