The Smithsonian is removing its carousel from the National Mall for renovations. The attraction will return to the same location in time for the 250th anniversary of the founding of the US in 2026.
Located in front of the Smithsonian’s Arts and Industries Building, the carousel will be removed in November and shipped to Carousels and Carvings in Marion, Ohio.
The work will involve repairing and refurbishing the carousel’s animals, replacing the platform, and updating the paving and underground electrical connections.
The carousel is operated by the Smithsonian Enterprises, a division of the Smithsonian Institution, while the National Mall is administered by the National Park Service.
Carousel built in 1947
Per a statement from the Smithsonian, the carousel will be repaired and refurbished “to its original grandeur, and the updated infrastructure will not alter the carousel’s appearance”.
A carousel was first installed on the National Mall in 1967 when Sidney Dillon Ripley II, a former Smithsonian secretary, wanted to make the site a “living extension” of the museums.
The original carousel was replaced in 1981 with the current attraction, which was built in 1947 and first operated in Baltimore’s Gwynn Oak Amusement Park.
“The amusement park became the focus of desegregation activists in the Baltimore area during the civil rights movement,” the Smithsonian said.
After years of protest, the amusement park and carousel were desegregated on 28 August 1963, the day of the historic March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom.
Until last December, the current carousel was owned and operated by a small family company as a concession for Smithsonian Enterprises.
In more news, the Smithsonian Castle on the National Mall closed earlier this year for a five-year renovation project involving extensive repairs and upgrades.
Designed by James Renwick Jr., the Castle opened as the Smithsonian’s first building in 1855. The last major renovation was carried out in the late 1960s.
