Amusement Park News

One hundred years ago this month, Herbert Sellner applied for a patent for a ride he invented at the kitchen table and built in a neighbor's yard in Faribault, Minnesota. According to family lore, the inventor came up with the idea for the Tilt-A-Whirl when he placed his son Art on a chair atop the table and rocked it back and forth, much to the boy's delight.

"I'm guessing there were several renditions of this prototype because he was literally working in his kitchen, figuring it out," says Erin Sellner, Herbert's great-granddaughter, who has fond memories of testing newly built Tilt-A-Whirls with her Girl Scout troop and began working at Sellner Manufacturing as a teenager in the 1980s. "So we don't have photos of this, but my great-grandfather was a woodworker and he liked to build chairs and tables. As the prototype evolved and the idea evolved, I'm sure he put some sort of wheel on it at the bottom."

The first Tilt-A-Whirl was built by Herbert Sellner in 1926 and sold to Wildwood Amusement Park, White Bear Lake, MN. Photo: IISA Carnival World Museum Collection.

The original Tilt-A-Whirl had nine cars made of wood reinforced with iron and was gas powered. It debuted as an independent attraction at the 1926 Minnesota State Fair. At 15 cents per ride, the new attraction welcomed 4,223 riders over the fair's seven-day run before being sold to Wildwood Amusement Park in White Bear Lake for its 1927 season.

The first advertisement for the new ride appeared in The Billboard on October 16, 1926:

"Announcing the TILT-A-WHIRL. Sellner's new flat ride, the outstanding sensation of the 1926 season – nine arm machine, 52 feet diameter. Priced at $6,000. Price advances November 1."

Among the first carnivals to order Tilt-A-Whirls were Johnny J. Jones Exposition and Royal American Shows, both taking delivery in time for their spring dates. By 1927, Sellner had built 14 rides, opened a factory, and sold the first Tilt-A-Whirl west of Chicago to Venice Beach.

In 1928, the design evolved from nine canopied cars to seven. The now-familiar dome-shaped bonnets debuted during the 1930s, clown decals appeared in the late 1940s, and fiberglass car tops were introduced during the mid-1950s. While many popular rides from the 1920s have disappeared, the Tilt-A-Whirl has remained a midway classic. More than 1,100 have been built, with an estimated 400 to 600 still operating today.

Kids riding the first Tilt-A-Whirl at White Bear Lake, MN, 1927. Photo: IISA Carnival World Museum Collection.

"I remember we had a tagline that we would include in all advertising that it was America's favorite family amusement ride," says Erin Sellner, who became the fourth generation of her family to lead the company when she was named president in 1995. "And as a lot of other ride manufacturers were looking at bigger, taller, faster and coming up with crazy ways to spin people, we were sticking to something grandma and grandpa could ride with the grandkids. We were very prideful in that it was a true family amusement ride."

A Midway Staple

Some of the strongest testimonials to the Tilt-A-Whirl's lasting appeal come from carnival owners whose rides have remained in their families for generations.

In 1978, Royal American Shows' C.J. Sedlmayr III told a reporter, "We call it a bread-and-butter ride. The flash and the high cost all are important because we're selling sensation, sights, and sounds. But the Tilt is as perennial as the grass."

Nearly 50 years later, Belle City Amusements owner Charles Panacek continues to operate the 1952 cable-driven Tilt his father purchased new.

"It's very unique. And even now the customer and the fair boards expect it," says Panacek. After downsizing his route and launching a ride refurbishment business, he retained 25 rides, including his Tilt. "There's some rides that we're not going to sell and the Tilt would probably be one of them."

Barry Stipe of Minnesota's Stipe Shows has a similar attachment to his family's cable-driven Tilt.

Stipe Show's midway and 1962 cable-driven Tilt with Allis-Chalmers gas motor. Photo courtesy of Barry Stipe.

"My grandfather bought our Tilt in 1962 from Art Sellner for $18,000," Stipe recalls. "I remember him and my father worrying about making the payments. I think they paid it off in four years. But money was way different then. Twenty-five cents for tickets, fifteen cents for kids' day."

During the off-season, Stipe worked for Sellner Manufacturing delivering Tilt-A-Whirls around the country and setting them up at the IISA trade show in Gibsonton, Florida. He also remembers when rides arrived complete with their own ticket boxes.

"I was selling tickets in the Tilt-A-Whirl ticket box when I was 15, and oh, I hated that," he laughs. "But I've been working 50-plus years and probably set up that Tilt-A-Whirl 500 times or more. We still have the original ticket box. There's one in the museum in Gibtown that's exactly like ours. I saved the front and have it hanging on the wall of my shop."

Fourth generation show owner Kyle Stipe as a boy at Tilt-A-Whirl set up in the 1960s.  Photo courtesy of Barry Stipe.

Evolution Through the Years

During the early 1980s, Sellner introduced the Electric 7 model, replacing the traditional cable-drive system with seven electric motors, one beneath each car.

"You just turn the button on and they spin around," says Stipe. "But they don't have quite the action of the old cable drive. I could make them spin pretty good in the day."

Panacek remembers operators using the clutch to create extra excitement.

"Back in the old days, the operators would actually clutch the ride, which would slow it a bit, then they'd clutch fully, and it would go full speed and give a bit more action to the tub swinging around," he says. "We haven't allowed our guys to do it in years, but they were doing that when I was a kid, and that was a long time ago."

A survey of carnival operators found that Amusements of America, Butler Amusements, Deggeller Attractions, Kissel Entertainment, and Reithoffer Shows all operate Electric 7 models, many purchased during the 1990s. Wade Shows operates both an Electric 7 and a refurbished 1956 cable-driven model. Cable-driven Tilts also continue to operate with Belle City Amusements, Powers & Thomas, Stipe Shows, and Dreamland Amusements.

"The Tilt-A-Whirl is as essential as the Ferris wheel or carousel on every midway," says Sharon Popovich, social media director for Reithoffer Shows. She recalls photographing an older woman riding alone with her hands in the air and a smile across her face. "This moment highlights why this ride is so vital at every fair."

Looking Ahead

During the recession of the 2000s, Sellner Manufacturing experienced declining sales and was sold to Larson International in 2011. Larson later merged with Rocky Mountain Construction, which continues to manufacture and support the iconic ride.

The Tilt-A-Whirl at Fun Spot America Atlanta opened in 2022 and features the classic "country fair" theme package. Photo: Larson/RMC.

Custom designs now include shark-themed versions and sleek open cars inspired by the original 1920s design. A new portable Electric 7 Tilt-A-Whirl sells for approximately $700,000, while park models are available at a lower cost.

"The Tilt has not yet overstayed its welcome as a backbone of American midway amusements and nostalgia," Novotny says. "Stay tuned as we unveil a special 100th anniversary edition ride this year."

Tricia Vita spent the first 17 years of her life traveling with carnivals and has worked the high striker with S & S Amusements and Wade Shows. She can be reached at hello@triciavita.com.