One of my fondest childhood memories is riding the local carousel with my brother and sister. Along with finding the "perfect" horse to ride on, one of the highlights was waving at my parents as the carousel zipped by. If you're in Rhode Island, make sure to take the children in your life to America's oldest running carousel so they can experience the magic of riding too. Simply head to the Flying Horse Carousel in Watch Hill, Rhode Island. As you'll soon learn, it's the kind of nostalgic place you can't help but love.

The Flying Horse Carousel dates back to around 1876 when it was constructed by the Charles W. Dare Company of New York.

The carousel has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 1980. In 1987, it was declared a National Historic Landmark since it's the oldest carousel in the US.

The Flying Horse Carousel now sits in the coastal village of Watch Hill in Westerly.

But until 1879, it was part of a traveling carnival. After the carnival was forced to abandon it, it stayed here. No one knows why the carousel was abandoned, but of course, we're glad it's a part of our state.

Watch Hill is a popular summer destination, known for its stunning sandy beaches.

And when the weather warms up, the Flying Horse Carousel is up and running during the summer season.

The carousel is located at the end of Bay Street in a wood-frame pavilion.

As you can see from this Flying Horse Carousel photo, there are 20 horses in total, suspended by chains from sweeps coming out of the center.

While many of the horse's details have been replaced, all of them still have their original agate eyes.

Rumor has it that the horses of the oldest carousel in the US were all carved from single blocks of wood, with the legs carved separately and attached.

When this carousel became a permanent part of Watch Hill, it had to be powered physically by two men with cranks.

Later, they'd tie a horse to the center with a rope, and the carousel would move when the horse walked. Nowadays, the Flying Horse Carousel is still running and has been powered by electricity since 2014.

The Flying Horse Carousel is a unique structure, and we're lucky to have it.

As you can see from Flying Horse Carousel photos, watch the riders as centrifugal force drives the horses outward, earning them the nickname "flying horses."

For a special outing, head to Rhode Island and take your kids to ride the oldest carousel in the US. Keep in mind that carousel riders must be under 12 years old, but you'll have just as much fun watching it spin from June until September.

To learn more about this historical landmark, check out our coverage of where the Flying Horse Carousel was built. I suggest referring to Tripadvisor to see more Flying Horse Carousel photos.