Albany Historic Carousel & Museum

The last time we we were in Portland, my cousin and his beautiful bride asked if we’d like to go to Albany to the carousel museum.

We agreed it sounded fun and set on on the adventure.

The carousel is incredible and far more fascinating than I’d anticipated. What we enjoyed even more than riding the carousel, was going downstairs and getting a tour of the animals being carved.

The carousel is a community volunteer-driven project that took more than 17 years to bring to fruition. Artists and laborers contributed hours of time to hand-carve and decorate the carousel animals.

When it is completed, the carousel will eventually consist of 52 animals. It’s been designed as a menagerie style unit ranging from a seven-foot tall giraffe to unicorns, dragons, lions, tigers, and bears! The animals are situation in three rows.

A 1909 Dentzel Carousel Corporation mechanism was donated to the project. Bill Dentzel, great-grandsom of Gustav Dentzel, the founder of the Dentzel Carousel Corporation, heard of the project and arranged for the antique mechanism to be donated.

Visitors will get to read about the Dentzel’s family history in the world of carousel’s as well as see some antique carousel pieces.

Seeing the antique pieces kicked my imagination into high gear. This wonderful little carousel is actually a Christmas tree stand.

And it ended up inspiring a special tree stand in my book A Christmas Spark.

The other thing that was so cool about the carousel, was to be able to see the animals in the midst of being carved.

What was really fun was looking at the concept drawings on the walls.

Then to see how those drawings were being brought to life.

I loved this one of the horse which has a strong patriotic feel.

How incredible to see the carving is it came together, block by block of wood.

If you’d like to learn more about the carousel, visit their website, or order The Miracle on First Avenue book by Jennifer Moody and Wendy Kirbey that details how the carousel came to be.

If you ever find yourself in Albany, stop by. It’s well worth the visit!