Broad Ripple Park Carousel
About this property
Broad Ripple Park Carousel is an antique carousel in The Children's Museum of Indianapolis. It was installed in 1917 at an amusement park near the White River in Indianapolis, Indiana, where it remained until the building housing it collapsed in 1956. The ride's mechanism was destroyed, but the animals were relatively unscathed and put into storage by the park's owners, the Indianapolis Department of Parks and Recreation. The animals were carved by the Dentzel Carousel Company some time before 1900 but were assembled by the William F. Mangels carousel company, which also supplied the engine powering the ride. The Children's Museum of Indianapolis acquired its first two carved animals from the ride in 1965, and the last few wooden animals in 1973. The museum planned to sell some to finance the restoration of others until the director of the museum, Mildred Compton, was convinced by carousel enthusiasts that the museum should instead restore all the animals and recreate the working carousel. Restoration of the carved animals began in 1966 and was only finished with the restoration of the entire carousel in 1977. No space had been allocated for the display of such a large exhibit in the museum's planned new building, which meant some re-designing was necessary to allow its installation on the fifth floor. A 1919 Wurlitzer band organ model No. 146, a type manufactured only for carousels, was also installed. As restored, the carousel is 42 feet (13 meters) wide and has a total of 42 animals, including – as well as the usual horses – goats, giraffes, deer, a lion, and a tiger. It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1987.
Location
Categories
Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).
Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Everything a full report reveals about Broad Ripple Park Carousel
This page lists Broad Ripple Park Carousel. A full Aubrey report for an address near it pulls together this listing alongside battlefield records, land patents, and every other historical record within a chosen radius:
Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.
Questions about this property
When was Broad Ripple Park Carousel listed on the National Register?
Broad Ripple Park Carousel was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on February 27, 1987.
What type of historic resource is Broad Ripple Park Carousel?
Broad Ripple Park Carousel is classified as a structure in the National Register of Historic Places.
Is Broad Ripple Park Carousel a National Historic Landmark?
Yes. Broad Ripple Park Carousel has been designated a National Historic Landmark (NHL), the highest level of federal recognition for historic properties in the United States.
What is the period of significance for Broad Ripple Park Carousel?
The period of significance for Broad Ripple Park Carousel is recorded as the industrial era.
Can I research the history near Broad Ripple Park Carousel?
Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Broad Ripple Park Carousel will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.
More in Marion County
Historic places, battles, and census history across Marion County.
Explore MarionCounty ›Research the history near this site
An Aubrey US report for an address near Broad Ripple Park Carousel will include this listing alongside battlefield records and other historical sources within your chosen radius.