The Memphis Grand Carousel, is a

carousel A carousel or carrousel (mainly North American English), merry-go-round (International English), or galloper (British English) is a type of amusement ride consisting of a rotating circular platform with seats for riders. The seats are tradit ...

located in

Memphis, Tennessee Memphis is a city in Shelby County, Tennessee, United States, and its county seat. Situated along the Mississippi River, it had a population of 633,104 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the List of municipalities in Tenne ...

. It was built in 1909 by the

Dentzel Carousel Company The G.A. Dentzel Company was an American builder of carousels in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. History Its founder, Gustav Dentzel, had immigrated to the United States in 1864, from Germ ...

with 48 wood-carved horse figures. It was purchased by the Memphis Park Commission in 1923. The carousel then operated at the site of the

Mid-South Fair The Mid-South Fair is a fair that was held for many years in Memphis, Tennessee, every year in late September and early October. It is now held in neighboring northwest Mississippi. It hosts many shows and attractions, as well as different types ...

, and later the

Libertyland Libertyland was an amusement park located in Memphis, Tennessee. Opened on July 4, 1976, it was located at 940 Early Maxwell Blvd. It was structured under the nonprofit 501(c)4 US tax code. It closed due to financial reasons in 2005. In 2022, a ...

amusement park. The Grand Carousel was added to the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

in 1980, but was delisted in 2009. After Libertyland closed in the fall of 2005, it remained abandoned with the park until 2009, when it was dismantled and placed into storage. In 2014, the

Children's Museum of Memphis The Children's Museum of Memphis (CMOM) is located in Midtown Memphis at 2525 Central Avenue in Memphis, Tennessee, USA. CMOM's mission is to create memorable learning experiences through the joy of play in hands-on exhibits and programs. The mu ...

was given a 25-year lease on the carousel by the City of Memphis, the carousel's owner. The carousel has been restored and since December 2017, currently operates in a new facility on the museum's campus.

References

{{Reflist Carousels on the National Register of Historic Places Tourist attractions in Memphis, Tennessee

See also

References