Culture, cosmos, and play
The Skyhorse Carousel is an amusement ride, art installation, and science outreach project celebrating human culture and cosmology from ancient to modern times.
Long before modern astronomy we imagined the heavens as governed by powerful beings, and alongside them the humble beasts who served them to help maintain cosmic order. In many stories, horses traverse the skies each night and day, bearing, guiding, and embodying the Sun, Moon, and stars. You might have seen the fiery steeds of Greek Helios pulling his solar chariot or the shining manes of Skinfaxi and Hrímfaxi who lit up Viking skies. In other stories, different animals play a role, such as Nah’ Gah, the Paiute Bighorn who climbed the tallest mountain to become the North Star, or the Chinese Jade Rabbit who lived with princess Chang’e in the Moon palace. These Sky Stories come from all over the world, some part of ancient myth and others of modern, living traditions, and they provide cultural context that enriches our modern understanding of astronomy. This carousel celebrates these cosmic beasts and the role they play in the mechanics of our universe, creating an experience with aspects of science, art, and play. More than 30 different cultures across the globe are represented.
In 2024, the Skyhorse Carousel visited the Burning Man art festival! Art doesn’t need a reason to exist, but from a science outreach perspective this project has been wildly successful—we gave over 5000 rides in a single week! Check out our 2024 Engagement Report on the news page. We look forward to returning in 2026! If you’re out there, you can find us in the Center Camp Plaza (2 o’clock side @ A).
This spring, we repainted all the scenery panels to give the carousel a fresh look and incorporate more Sky Stories. You can follow our journey as we paint and travel with the carousel on our Facebook page or Instagram (@skyhorsecarousel). Looking to get involved? Please reach out!
skyhorsecarousel@gmail.com
Bluesky @spacejammie | IG @skyhorsecarousel
Skyhorse Carousel 