Libertyland carousel carefully stripped down for storage
Posted
The Grand Carousel at the closed Libertyland amusement park was carefully dismantled Tuesday, the pieces meticulously labeled for storage. Members of Save Libertyland, a grass-roots organization, had championed the 100-year-old carousel, urging the city to find a new home for it rather than have it taken apart. But city officials said an extra security detail protecting the carousel at Libertyland, which closed in 2005, cost the city more than $250,000, an expense that could not be justified.
Read more from Memphis Commercial Appeal.
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I'm not sure I understand why the preservationists are all hot and bothered here. The alternative is the city bulldozing it, but instead they're taking the time to dismantle and store it.
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Seems like it could have been moved somewhere where there's already security...(Graceland, perhaps?)...
Anyhow, the market is a little "full" of antique carousels right now, so if it were to be sold , waiting might be the smarter move...
I checked the Memphis zoo website and it seems they don't have a carousel. Why not set it up there so it can be enjoyed and the zoo can make some extra revenue?
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There has been a history of machines in the past that have been dismantled and stored for "safe keeping" that have ultimately have been auctioned off in pieces. This is what I believe they are afraid of. As far as the market being being full of machines for sale, there are not that many intact ones for sale.The firm that used to operate carousels in the Westfield Malls has a large part of their inventory listed for sale (Westfield bought a large number of Chance Morgan double deck machines). Most of theses machines are of the two and three abreast portable style. Their big PTC park machine is also listed as well.
You definitely know more about them than I do, Dutch...I can't say which ones are being "parted out"...
But just off the top of my head, in addition to LibertyLand:
1- Geauga carousel, 2- Kiddie Park of San Antonio closed for good (so I'm *assuming* theirs), 3- Kiddieland in Melrose had PTC #72 which I'm also assuming is for sale, 4- maybe a month ago, I read of an antique being stored at a private residence here in FL, going for 500-600K.
Anyone really interested in antique carousels should make it a point to go by the museum in Bristol, CT, about 20 minutes from Lake Compounce... :)
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