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The Battery's Long Awaited Aquatic-Themed Carousel Slated to Open Aug. 20

By Irene Plagianos | July 2, 2015 9:15am | Updated on July 6, 2015 8:44am
 The whimsical SeaGlass Carousel, with its 30 custom-made fish, is finally opening after years of delays.
Seaglass Carousel Opening
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FINANCIAL DISTRICT — The Battery’s long-anticipated undersea-themed carousel is almost ready to whirl.

The SeaGlass Carousel, a whimsical ride featuring 30 giant, custom made fish-shaped seats, is finally slated to open on Aug. 20, Warrie Price, the president of The Battery Conservancy told DNAinfo.

The $16 million project, initially meant to open more than two years ago, had been slowed down by rough winters, lingering effects of Hurricane Sandy and, more recently, a delay with needed city permits.

The domed silver structure, dreamed up by George Tsypin, the designer of Broadway’s “The Little Mermaid” and "Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark," will house 9-foot-tall fish that twirl around on interior turntables.

The idea is to give visitors the sense of freely gliding through the ocean, rather than just rotating on a typical carousel. Projections of fish swimming in New York Harbor will surround riders, and music resembling underwater sounds will echo throughout the three-and-a-half-minute ride.

Price said the last of the intricately-designed fish, made in Montreal, are due to arrive next week.

A $5 ticket to the carousel will give you a ride on one of the huge fish, but you'll also get to watch a show where other visitors are gliding around, so you can get a full experience of the unique space, Price said.

The project, which was most recently slated to open this spring, is funded by both government and privately-raised money.

The carousel is meant to evoke the original New York Aquarium that opened in Battery Park's Castle Clinton in 1896 and drew millions of visitors before closing in 1941.

"We're very excited for the public to come take their first ride," Price said. "It really is special."