It used to be a staple near the bluff in St. Joseph, Michigan and now, nearly 40 years later, the Silver Beach Carousel is back and better than ever.

The new Silver Beach Carousel is now officially open to the public, and Saturday, visitors had the chance to see it in all its glory.

“We drive by once a week and the girl's are very excited and can't wait to come and ride the carousel, so they had a great time. It's beautiful,” said Jessica Ransom, who was visiting the carousel.

The 48 hand-carved figures include tigers, clown fish, horses, and hippos just to name a few, and were hand painted by artisans.

“I think it's great for St. Joe to be able to do this for the community and for the surrounding areas and to bring more people in,” said JoAnne Abbott, a Silver Beach visitor.

Despite traveling through nearly 20 inches of snow, people came from as far as Detroit to see the new St. Joe addition.

“It's definitely worth making your way through the snow to come down here and have a good time on the carousel and see the interesting artifacts, the horses, and how they've been decorated,” said Abbott.

More than 1,000 twinkling lights dazzle visitors who came with cameras in hand to document a day in St. Joe history that's sure to bring smiles to the faces of many for years to come.

“My youngest absolutely loved it. Just the wind, it went so fast, the music, just all the beautiful horses. It was just a wonderful experience. The smiles on their faces, it was,” says Ransom. “It's fun. It's something fun for the family to come out and do altogether.”

For information on times and prices on the carousel, click here.