(COLORADO SPRINGS) — The Cheyenne Mountain Zoo (CMZoo) will soon celebrate the reopening of its historic 1926 Allan Herschel carousel at its new home.
The carousel came into the Zoo’s possession in 1937, and getting to the carousel was originally a hike to the top of the zoo before it was moved to its second spot near the Rocky Mountain goats. It was stored away in July 2023 to make way for a new road just west of the current main road into the zoo.
CMZoo said once the historic road is gone, the zoo can expand its giraffe habitat and a new South America exhibit.
CMZoo said the carousel’s new home will be between Grizzly Grill and the Lodge at Moose Lake. The carousel is designed to be taken apart and moved and despite weighing seven tons, the carousel can be broken down in eight hours using basic hand tools.
“It’s not like carousels you see at traveling fairs these days, which just fold up and go,” says Dave Ruhl, executive vice president at CMZoo. “It is designed to be taken apart, piece by piece, by hand. We are dedicated to maintaining this carousel because it has been with our community for so long, so we’re very careful when we do it.”
Construction on the carousel’s new home started in January 2024 and at the end of May passed code and safety inspections and is expected to reopen in early June.
To celebrate the return of the carousel, CMZoo is giving away frequent rider cards to 200 lucky active zoo members. Members need to enter to win by 11:59 p.m. on Thursday, June 6 and winners will be notified by email on Thursday, June 13.
CMZoo said that while the location was being built, the carousel was being given some much-needed care.
“We work with a carousel horse expert in Larkspur who repaired cracks and touched up paint on the horses and carriages,” Dave says. “Most of the horses have been restored, and they look great. We also got the carousel organ refurbished, so it works again for the first time in around five years. We can’t wait for everyone to see it!”
