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Welcome to SpokaneCarrousel.org!



100 Years and Still Spinning!

Spokane's 1909 Looff Carrousel

On July 18, 1909, our Looff Carrousel began operation in Spokane's Natatorium Park, an amusement park on the bank of the Spokane River on the west side of Spokane.

Nat park closed its doors in 1967, but the carrousel has been in operation at Riverfront Park in Spokane since 1975.

The Louis and Lloyd Vogel families were honored in July, 2022 under the Monument Program of Notable People in Spokane's History. More . . .

Our carousel has been in operation in its new building since 2018! Be sure to stop by and visit the carrousel to see the our new building and our better-than-new 1909 Looff carrousel!




Did you know?

Our c.1900 Ruth & Sohn band organ is undergoing a conversion to allow it to play MIDI files. This conversion will allow our band organ to replace its punched-paper rolls with a computer. And it will be able to play a wide variety of music from traditional marches to contemporary songs.

The conversion also adds the ability to control the volume of the band organ, which is an unheard of option for a traditional band organ.

The project was started just before the COVID pandemic, and has been on hold for the last four years. If you'd like to help get this project over the finish line, please consider making a donation. Donations can be made online by Clicking Here.

Spokane's c.1900 Ruth & Sohn Band Organ



Our Brand New 1909 Looff Carrousel


Here are a few pictures of our carousel and of the long-awaited new carrousel building.

The carousel has been completely cleaned up and repainted and looks as good (or maybe better) than it did when it was new in 1909!

For a nice overview of the construction process and carrousel restoration, see these videos:
Spokane Carrousel May 2018


Spokane Carrousel May 2018
Spokane Carrousel May 2018




Coeur d'Alene Carousel
The Coeur d'Alene Carousel

The Coeur d'Alene Carousel

Also be sure to visit the Spillman Engineering carousel in Coeur d'Alene Idaho. This carousel operated in Coeur d'Alene from 1941 to 1970, and is now back in operation in Coeur d'Alene! Visit the Coeur d'Alene Carousel Website for more information.

To celebrate the grand opening of this carousel, the National Carousel Association presented a commerative plaque to the Friends of the Coeur 'd Alene Carousel to congratulate and commend them for their efforts in bringing this carousel back into operation in Coeur d'Alene.

Pictured to the right are:

  • Cari McCaw-Fraser, President of the Coeur D'Alene Carousel Foundation
  • Bette Largent, NCA President
  • Rita Snyder, Secretaryof the Coeur D'Alene Carousel Foundation
Coeur d'Alene Carousel
The Coeur d'Alene Carousel receives a
commerative plaque from the
National Carousel Association!



The Carousel Of Smiles

The Carousel Of Smiles
The Carousel Of Smiles
Sandpoint, Idaho>
   The newest addition to the Inland Northwest's collection of antique carrousels is The Carousel Of Smiles in Sandpoint, Idaho!

This c. 1920 carousel spent more than 65 years in storage after last operating in 1952.

Check out the Carousel Of Smiles website for more information.

Click to visit Natatorium Park
Click to Visit
Natatorium Park
Here in Spokane, Washington, we're fortunate enough to have an all-original Looff Carrousel in Riverfront Park. This extraordinary blend of art and machinery has been located in Spokane since it was manufactured and delivered to its original location at Natatorium Park in 1909.

Click to see Miss Liberty
Miss Liberty
It's no accident that this beautiful carrousel is still in Spokane. Keeping it running and pristine has involved the hard work and devotion of many, many people over the last 99 years.

Some of the carrousel's major contributors receive recognition on this website, but many more people throughout the years have loved and cared for this carrousel as if it were their own. And in many ways, it does belong to all of us. It's been part of our history, it has a special place in our memories and it's likely to hold the same place in the hearts of our children and grandchildren for generations to come.

Click to see Casper, the Ghost Horse
Casper,
the Ghost Horse
As you look through our website, you'll see that we have one of the best collections of carrousel pictures anywhere on the Web. If you have old pictures of our carrousel, make sure to dig them out and look for pictures of your horses on our website. You're sure to find them, because all of the original horses are still in service, giving rides daily to the young and the young at heart.

Click to see our Band Organ
A. Ruth & Sohn Band Organ
Circa 1900
We also have an original Ruth & Sohn band organ, which you'll find detailed on our band organ page. You'll find information about its history and recent restoration, as well as some actual sound clips recorded from the band organ.

You'll find pictures of some of our carrousel figures sprinkled throughout our pages. Just click on any one of them to take a shortcut to our picture gallery.

If you've never visited our carrousel, we hope that you'll feel as though you've been here after looking through our website. And if you're familiar with our carrousel and have memories or pictures that you'd like to make available to the rest of us, make sure to sign our guest book or send us your pictures.



Click to visit the National Carousel Association

Another great site for carrousel information is the National Carousel Association (NCA).

The purpose of the National Carousel Association is to promote conservation, appreciation, knowledge and enjoyment of the art of the classic wooden carrousel and especially the preservation of complete wooden carrousels.

Make sure to pay them a visit today!


All materials on spokanecarrousel.org are
(c) 2004-2022 Gary Nance
unless otherwise noted.
All Rights Reserved.