This photo is from the Grand Rapids Public Museum’s digital collections and depicts a carousel, which compared to other photos, is probably one that once stood at Ramona Park (now the Gaslight Village area in East Grand Rapids.) The Ramona Park carousel was owned by the McElwee brothers and installed in 1909 at the park. Interestingly, one of the organs from the carousel, called Big Bertha, is located at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort restaurant.
We selected this picture in honor of the restoration of the Grand rapids Public Museum’s 1928 Spillman Carousel. The nearly 100-year-old artifact has been undergoing a major renovation which began in 2017, requiring the Carousel to be dismantled and rebuilt. Starting on Wednesday, May 25, the Spillman Carousel will once again be operating in the Cook Carousel Pavilion located at the Grand Rapids Public Museum, 272 Pearl St. NW. While the carousel will be operational, restoration work will continue on carousel. To follow the restoration process, click here.
