The Wurlitzer Music Roll Department

Music Hall Ft. Wurlitzer Music Roll Department

The Herschell Factory Carrousel Museum is pleased to announce our long-anticipated Music Hall is now open to the public. A ribbon-cutting ceremony on October 3, 2025 welcomed our patrons, friends and guests to rave reviews. This Music Hall allows for a dedicated temperature and humidity controlled exhibit space for the museum’s Band Organ collection as well as display space for the Wurlitzer Perforation Department exhibit. This exhibit also pays tribute to the numerous Band Organ companies that called North Tonawanda home, and is the only place in the world where band organ rolls are still produced using all historically correct equipment and methods. The Carrousel Music Hall exhibit is included with your regular admission so plan on visiting us soon!

The still-operational, historic equipment in the Wurlitzer Music Roll Department demonstrates the production of paper music rolls. Band organs (like the one pictured below) use these rolls to produce the inimitable and universally recognized sound of an American carousel. Visitors are able to watch any of the machines which may be in use at the time of their visit. All the machines are over 90 years old.

In addition to the machinery, the Wurlitzer Music Roll Department includes over 1600 hand-punched original master music rolls dating back to the turn of the 20th century. This is the only public display of equipment of this type in the country! A new state-of-the-art Music Hall is currently under construction on our campus and will house this entire collection when completed.