Both parks were originally built by the Marriott hotel chain as sister properties but they were later sold off and now are both owned by Six Flags[1] To this date, Carousel Columbia (the California counterpart) is the world's tallest carousel (the Gurnee, Illinois version is a foot shorter).

[4][5] In 1994, Santa Clara's Columbia received some minor renovations for its appearance in the movie Beverly Hills Cop III, filmed at the theme park.

[6] The original design of the carousel, then named "The Columbia", was carried out by Randall Duell Associates.

[citation needed] Sixteen original oil paintings by George Gibson are installed on each carousel, depicting scenes from American history.

[1] The Columbia is often associated with the Carousel Song, written especially for the Marriott's Great America theme parks by Gene Patrick.