GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — The community is being asked to donate to a downtown Grand Rapids icon.
The Public Museum is seeking community support to help pay for the ongoing renovations for the Spillman Carousel.
The Carousel is nearly 100 years old, built in 1928. It has been at the Public Museum since 1994 when they first opened their doors.
Upgrades began in 2017, and they include the mechanical and electrical installation of 1,200 LED light bulbs, band organ repairs and initial steps towards restoring the 53 horses and two chariots.
"Thanks to to the funding and the support the ongoing continued support of the Peter C and Emajean Cooke Foundation, the Museum has received a grant that's a matching grant from the Cooke Foundation," said Kate Kocienski, the vice president of marketing at the Public Museum.
"So they will actually match community donations that go towards the project two to one, up to $300,000," she said.
Over the past year, the carousel was completely dismantled and parts were sent away to a company to restore. The intricate pieces of the ride have been returned, but renovations are still underway.
The Museum is planning for a re-opening of the Carousel when the major upgrades are complete, even though the full renovation of the animals will take an additional two years to be finished.
You can donate to the renovation project here.
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