 |
|
Muller's Carousel HorseOften referred to simply as Muller’s Military Horse, this magnificent carousel horse, carved in 1917 by Daniel C. Muller, is known for more than simply showcasing Muller’s fascination with Civil War and pre-World War II Calvary mounts. Rather, its real claim to fame is that it is often called the only haunted carousel horse in existence. Although the legend of the Haunted Steed seems to have gone through a few changes through the years, the most current one is as follows: Upon seeing her husband’s creation, Mrs. Muller fell in love with the horse. So much so that even after her death, her ghost returned to the Cedar Point Carousel to ride it. In fact, her love was so strong that her ghost would make it impossible for anyone to photograph the horse, lest someone else view it and fall in love with it. At first, this appeared to be a pretty easy story to disprove. However, the simple task of taking a photograph of a carousel horse was harder than expected. The main reason is that there is some confusion surrounding the location of the horse itself. Reports that had come into our web site placed the horse at various locations, including:
After a bit of research, along with help from the employees of the Merry-Go-Round Museum, as well as Ms. Ann Marie Whyte from Cedar Point, we were able to trace the journey of the infamous "Haunted Steed". The original horse was indeed on the Frontiertown Carousel at Cedar Point for many years and it appears that the legend was born around this time. However, while the horse was at Cedar Point, the portion of the legend that involves one being unable to take the horse’s picture had not yet begun. Indeed, the stories that were circulating during this time only make reference to a "ghostly woman" riding the horse after hours. This apparition is never identified as Mrs. Muller. Several years ago, the entire Frontiertown Carousel was moved to Dorney Park in Pennsylvania, with the exception of one specific piece: the Muller Horse. And while the original horse stayed at Cedar Point, a fiberglass replica was placed on display at the Merry-Go-Round Museum in Sandusky. It is also interesting to note that it was around the time that the carousel was moved that the "ghostly woman" began being referred to as Mrs. Muller. Also, this was when the version involving her refusing to allow anyone to photograph the horse came about. It would appear that at least part of this legend was the result of people not being able to find the original. So in order to cover all bases, The Ghosts of Ohio set out with the intention of photographing both the original and the replica. When we visited the Merry-Go-Round Museum in Sandusky, we found that the Muller replica had been temporarily removed from the exhibit. However, thanks to the kindness of the museum’s employees, we were allowed down into the basement to attempt and photograph it. As you can see from the example below, the photos we took came out fine. But this was, after all, only the replica. The original Muller horse, while still residing at Cedar Point, is no longer on the carousel. Instead, it is housed near the back of the park in the Frontiertown Museum. As the example below shows, these photographs also turned out fine. This would seem to put an end to at least the "unphotographable" portion of the legend. But not to the legend as a whole. For you see, the legend was that at night, the carousel would start back up again and a ghostly woman would ride upon the Muller Horse. So in essence, the haunting centers around the horse while it was on the carousel. But since the horse appears to have been officially retired, there is no telling where this ghostly woman went... if she even existed at all. |
Structures
Final Resting Places
Wayward Spirits
Vicious Rumors