Smithsonian National Carousel

History of the Carousel on the National Mall

In 1967, the Smithsonian Institution’s Secretary S. Dillon Ripley planned a series of festivities to make the National Mall more welcoming to all who visited Washington, D.C. and the Institution’s museums. On April 12, a carousel was installed in front of the Arts & Industries Building to kick off the events. That summer, visitors to the National Mall attended concerts featuring the Institution’s antique instruments and the first Smithsonian Folklife Festival. In the fall, as the weather began to cool and festivities died down, the carousel remained.

Over the next 14 years, visitors to the National Mall rode the 1922 Allan Herschell Company designed carousel until the wear and tear of the Washington, D.C. climate required a replacement. In 1981, the Smithsonian located a new carousel owned and operated by a vendor- one that was not only beautiful but that also carried a rich a history befitting the Smithsonian.

The current carousel on the National Mall was built in 1947, also by the Allen Herschell Company. It features horses with hand-carved wooden bodies and aluminum heads, legs, and tails. The horses are “jumpers” with all four legs off the ground and range in colors from turquoise to palomino.

This 1947 carousel was first installed in Gwynn Oaks Park, an amusement park just outside Baltimore, Maryland. As the Civil Rights Movement took hold, Gwynn Oaks Park became a main focal point for desegregation work in the Baltimore area. The first protest to integrate the park took place in 1955. Over the next eight years, led by the Baltimore chapter of the Congress of Racial Equity (CORE), black and white activists of all ages picketed, protested, and were arrested in attempts to desegregate the park. 

In July 1963, after nearly 400 protestors were arrested over the course of two days, negotiations began between the park’s owners and the leadership of CORE. Led by Spiro Agnew, Baltimore County’s top executive and future Vice President, an agreement was reached that the park would desegregate on August 28, 1963. 

When the day arrived, Baltimore and its surrounding areas were quiet. Millions of people had headed to the Nation's capital to attend the March on Washington. Charles and Marion Langley decided to take their daughter, Sharon, to Gwynn Oaks Park, rather than try to bring an eleven-month-old to the March. They spent less than an hour there walking around. Before they left, Charles hopped on the carousel with his infant daughter. The same day that Dr. King gave his “I Have a Dream” speech 45 miles away on the National Mall, three children – two white and one black – went for a ride on a carousel together.

Just prior to the pandemic, the owner/operator of the carousel approached the Smithsonian about purchasing this historic carousel. After a series of discussions, Smithsonian and the owner were able to come to terms - thus enabling this important and beloved piece of history to remain on the National Mall for years to come. The next step is for the Smithsonian to repair and refurbish the carousel to its original grandeur.