Tilt-A-Whirl Turns 100 And Its Roots Are In Faribault, Minnesota

Certain things just feel like the Minnesota State Fair, or your own county fair. Those include things like cheese curds, mini-donuts, cotton candy, and of course, the spinning rides.

But did you know one of the fair’s most familiar rides was actually invented right here in Minnesota?

HAPPY 100TH ANNIVERSARY

The Tilt-A-Whirl is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year, and its story begins in Faribault with an inventor named Herbert Sellner.

WHO IS HERBERT SELLNER?

Back in the 1920s, Sellner was constantly coming up with new ideas. He experimented with toys, furniture, and amusement rides, using places around Faribault as his testing grounds.

According to an article, one of his early creations was a giant water slide called the water toboggan. It became popular enough that Sellner began receiving orders from outside Minnesota and even from other countries!

Then came an unusual water ride that was destroyed by a storm. Sellner’s brother Martin suggested they take the basic idea and put it on land.

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IT STARTED AS A DRAWING

That idea eventually led to the Tilt-A-Whirl. Sellner began working on drawings for the ride in early 1926. By that spring, he had filed for a patent, and he eventually settled on the name 'Tilt-A-Whirl'.

FROM A DRAWING TO REALITY

The ride went from an inventor’s drawing board to the Minnesota State Fair in the same year! The first Tilt-A-Whirl was operating at the fair by September 1926, with rides costing just 15 cents.

Minnesotans clearly liked it. A century later, the Tilt A Whirl remains not only a State Fair tradition, but a county fair tradition as well. I don't think I've ever been to a county fair that didn't feature the Tilt A Whirl. More than 1,000 Tilt A Whirls have been manufactured over the decades.

CHANGES OVER THE YEARS

The earliest versions of the spinning ride were mostly made of wood and had nine cars. Later versions went down to seven cars, while the materials changed to steel and fiberglass. The odd-rounded shape of the cars became part of the ride's identity.

And there are some pretty creative variations, including cars designed to look like barrels and even strawberries!

The Tilt A Whirl isn't simply spinning around in circles, either. The movement is affected by the weight of the people riding in each car, which means your experience can be very different depending on who you are riding with. I remember when my friends and I would ride, we would all lean together to one side or the other to make it spin as fast as we could!

THE MINNESOTA STATE FAIR

The State Fair's Tilt-A-Whirl has moved around over the years and now sits in the Kidway. Children can ride when accompanied by an adult, and so the ride has become something grandparents, parents, and kids can experience together.

A WALKING TOUR FEATURE THIS YEAR AT THE STATE FAIR

The Minnesota State Fair is celebrating the Tilt-A-Whirl's centennial this year, including a history walking tour that will feature the ride.

The next time you see the Tilt-A-Whirl at the fair, remember: it isn't just another carnival ride. It's a 100-year-old piece of Minnesota history that started with an inventor in Faribault who liked to build things that made people smile; AND SMILE WE DO!