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5/9/22 - After Years of Renovation Work, the Carousel at the GRPM Will Re-Open Soon.

Monday, May 9, 2022 at 4:21 PM

Over 100 years and a few years of renovation work will culminate with the re-opening of the Carousel at the GRPM. Image courtesy of the GRPM. 5/9/22.

After a pandemic, and years of work, the Spillman Carousel at the Grand Rapids Public Museum will sound its magical calliope.

After years of renovation work, the Carousel at the Grand Rapids Public Museum will re-open at the end of the month. 

The 1928 Spillman Carousel closed to the public in 2017 after the museum announced renovation work needed to be done to the ride.  Those renovation's included mechanical and electrical upgrades, installation of 1,200 LED light bulbs, band organ repairs, and restoration of 53 horses and menagerie and two chariots.

The project includes several safety and accessibility upgrades including the creation of a wheelchair accessible chariot, integration of a ramp incline for access, bilingual signage and instructional recordings, as well as additional communication features for those who are blind or visually impaired or deaf or hard of hearing.

The Carousel is made up of forty-four hand-carved, elaborately jeweled wooden horses, two chariots and six menagerie animals: a giraffe, whale, deer, goat, tiger and camel. The Carousel is one of only three of its style known to have been produced by the Spillman Engineering Carousel Company of North Tonawanda, New York.

The carousel will be open to museum members on May 24th, and the general public on May 25th. 

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