Historic Carrousel Closed For 6 Weeks To Repair Pipe Organ

The Riverfront Park Carrousel will close Monday for six weeks while its pipe organ and horses are repaired.

The Carrousel will operate Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and then close until Feb. 20.

Volunteers raised about $12,500 to repair the 88-year-old Adolphe Ruth organ, said Betty Largent, an employee at the downtown Spokane park. Repair workers agreed to donate their labor.

“It’s a very rare band organ,” Largent said. “There are only five of its kind operating in the United States.”

Since it was retired a decade ago, parkgoers have listened to a tape-recorded copy of the organ, which can produce the sounds of 60 band instruments.

Workers also will restore five horses and two dragon chairs.”It’s difficult to close over Valentine’s Day, because it’s a very popular time at the Carrousel,” she said. “There have been a lot of proposals on that machine.”

, DataTimes