Today, there are only about 200, which is why they are happily celebrating the 100th birthday of the historic merry-go-round on Casino Pier, which is STILL in operation.
"To have a ride that's 100 years old that really was at the start of the amusement industry and to still be out here, it's just really amazing to see that," Casino Pier Manager Josh Karu said.
The animals are hand-carved, some made more than a century ago by the master horse making team of Dentzel and Looff.
The carousel used to be at an amusement park on the Delaware River called Burlington Island. In 1928, a fire destroyed most of that park, but the carousel was salvaged.
After being repaired it was moved to Seaside Heights where, since the 1930's, it's been delighting young and old who climb on board like 2-year-old Morgan Peddie of Stroudsburg.
"My one daughter she loves the carousel. She always wants to ride the ponie," Morgan's mother Denise said.
"I remember going on this same exact carousel when I was a kid. It's great to see the same carousel here and have my own daughters have the same privilege I had to ride on it," Morgan's father Matt said.
You can pick from among 58 of the carousel's animals which include brightly colored horses, a lion, a tiger and over 2,000 lights. Not too shabby for a hundred years old!
"It looks pretty good and that's amazing. Hopefully, it'll be here for another 100 years," Renee Hammond of Lanoka Harbor said.