The Forest Park Carousel is spinning again as it enters its fourth year run by the Operations Division of the Ride Entertainment Group.
Working closely with renowned carousel expert Todd Goings of Carousels and Carvings, the Ride Entertainment team provided a dramatic winter refurbishment for the historic ride.
With a large financial investment and a lot of tender loving care, the process involved the replacement of parts throughout the carousel, including some that were over a 100 years old.
Division Director David Galst explained, "Over the past several months we undertook a major rehabilitation project of the 100 year old Forest Park Carousel. The entire machine was disassembled and every mechanical and electrical component was examined. As with any type of 
aging hardware, certain parts had to be fixed and replaced. By performing this major rehabilitation, this timeless piece of magical art and master craftsmanship should be able to spin for decades to come!"
During the off-season’s long cold winter months, the top bearing, cranks, sweeps, and commutator were repaired or replaced. The whole historic structure of the carousel was dissembled with infinite care, stored, and then re-assembled with the addition of the new parts.
Known as the ride’s "birthday party guru", Site Manager Daeshawn Grimes added, "As a fan of the amusement park industry, it was fun and educational to disassemble the entire Forest Park Carousel to learn what makes it work".
