Carousel at Lee Richardson Zoo

Come out and enjoy the Carousel.

The carousel was a donation from Bruce and Cindy White.  Charity Saddler, their daughter did the painting and Bruce did the woodwork.  It hadn’t been assembled or operated in almost 10 years when we got it and it needed some TLC and work.  We had to do some rebuilding and reimagining.  When we started the project, the State did not yet have the Amusement act in place but when that changed it meant we had to make sure we were up to current standards.  We rewired it, serviced or replaced the mechanical parts, and have added several safety features to ensure it meets or exceeds current standards.  The carousel is 20 feet in diameter and has 8 deck sections.  We could add another row of animals but with the pandemic, we are only running one.  We have a tiger, lion, ostrich, 2 horses, a turkey, a dolphin with an adorable sea turtle step, and an otter themed bench or “chariot”.   The carousel is made in the style of carousels in the late 1800s.  It was manufactured by San Antonio Roller Works but they sold their assets in 1978 so I am still working on tracking down the exact year it was built.  We have had several local contractors work on or consult on the project beyond the construction phase. (3-G Electric, Ladd Welding, A-1 locksmith, Dave Tabor – Electrician, and Steel-Con).