The Mall will be missing some of its favorite animals for the next several years, as the carousel horses have been taken away for repairs.
The carousel was built in 1947, and was installed at the Mall in 1981. It replaced an older carousel that had been installed in 1967.
The carousel has sixty horses and one sea dragon.
And back in 2011, there was the unexplained “mystery of the white horse.”
The carousel has a history that is fitting for its location. It had originally been in a segregated Baltimore park, and after many years of civil-rights protests there, the park was desegregated on the same day that MLK gave his “I Have a Dream” speech. The Smithsonian did not know of this connection at the time of the carousel’s installation, but later installed a plaque with the story.
It’s going to be a long wait until the carousel re-opens, but it will be back by 2026, in time for the country’s 250th anniversary celebrations.
It’s insane to me that it would take 3 years! Do you know why that is?
It seems like an absurd amount of time – although they are apparently also going to take apart the platform and mechanics. With the adjacent Smithsonian Castle closed for 5 years for repairs, it’s going to be a long empty stretch there.
Their charm will be missed by kids and adults alike.
Agreed – it will be a long wait until it comes back, unfortunately!