On April 24, the Smithsonian Carousel makes its triumphant return to the National Mall in Washington, D.C. For nearly three years, the remarkable team at Carousels and Carvings painstakingly conserved the Carousel in preparation for its grand re-opening. Among the updates include improved accessibility, updated electrical wiring and paving, and fresh coat of paint to match its original appearance.
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. In April that year, a carousel was installed in front of the Arts & Industries Building to kick off the events. including 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 a 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, one that was not only beautiful but that also carried a rich a history befitting the Smithsonian.
Built in 1947, also by the Allen Herschell Company, the Smithsonian’s newly restored carousel 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.
It 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 their attempts to desegregate the park.
In July 1963, after nearly 400 protestors were arrested over the course of two days, negotiations led by Spiro Agnew, Baltimore County’s top executive and future vice president, began between the park’s owners and CORE leadership. The parties reached an agreement that the park would desegregate on August 28, 1963.
When the day arrived, Baltimore and its surrounding areas were quiet. Millions of Americans had headed to the National Mall 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 11-month-old to the March. 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.
Click one of the images below to view a slideshow of carousel restoration photos taken on a given day. To see snapshots from other dates, select a different image.
Restoration photos courtesy of Carousels and Carvings. April/May 2023 and March 2026 courtesy Donny Bajohr, Smithsonian Magazine
The carousel, which was built in 1947, was removed for refurbishment and for updates to the surrounding infrastructure.
Renovations also include repairs to the carousel’s animals and platform.
Tickets will cost $6 each for riders of all ages.
All tickets are sold at the ticket booth.
