A few facts about the carousel setpiece adapted from Tim Onosco's book, Fun Land USA:
At the Gurnee Park, 1977:
Double-decker carousel; rises 10 stories tall
There are 103 animal figurines and 3 chariots; all are reproductions made of fiberglass and are a close match to wooden figures.
First level has whimsical characters - lions, deer, tigers, sea horses, dragons, camels, cats, pigs, and giraffes.
Second level has 45 additional horses.
Sixteen original oil paintings decorate the carousel and were executed by George Gibson, former head of the MGM studio scenic department. Other carvings on the carousel are based on designs from the MGM film Marie Antionette.
Since much of Great America's building planning was executed by the architectural firm of Randall Duell and Associates, there are close ties between the film industry and the design of the carousel. Duell was an art director for MGM for many years.