It costs a dollar and buys pure joy: the Mangano Carousel at Columbus Commons, a hand-carved wooden merry-go-round whose 41 characters — horses, a tiger, even an Ohio State Buckeye horse — spin beneath a painted Columbus sky.
The carousel anchors the Commons’ family calendar: Commons for Kids days with free activities all summer, family movie nights on the lawn, and holiday-season spins when the park lights its tree. Around it, the park’s café, reading room and gardens make downtown’s green living room an easy half-day with small children.
Downtown workers get the lawn at lunch. Families own it on weekends.
Every city should keep a carousel downtown. Columbus does — and it still costs a dollar.
