SPOKANE, Wash. – The Looff Carrousel in Riverfront Park will open on Saturday, May 12 at 1:00 p.m.
The carousel was originally built in 1909. It will now whirl in its new glass home right next to the Spokane River.
The Looff Carrousel is on the National Register of Historic Places. It was built by Charles Looff as a wedding gift for his daughter. The carousel began operation in Natatorium Park, which was an amusement park on the bank of the river. “The Nat” closed its doors in 1967 and the ride was put in storage.
The carousel came back to life for Expo ’74. It was housed in a Bavarian Beer Garden. The structure was home to the carousel from 1975 to 2016. Two years ago, it was determined the structure lacked the stature to properly display the carousel’s rounding boards and did not have proper climate control.
In 2014, Spokane residents voted to rehouse the carousel as part of a bond to redevelop Riverfront Park.
Those eager to get a look at the new carousel can attend the celebration on May 12. There will be a ribbon cutting at 1:00 p.m. and festivities will continue through 7:00 p.m. Rides will be two dollars each, but the festivities are free.