The Spillman Carousel Reopens After Two Years Of Restoration

It's been a long, long time. After over two years, one of the prized possessions and cultural icons of the Grand Rapids Public Museum is finally coming back to life.

The Grand Rapids Public Museum (GRPM) just announced the reopening of the historic 1928 Spillman Carousel and the Cook Carousel Pavilion.

Next Friday, February 13, is the big day.

How exciting since it has been two years of not only restoration of the carousel itself, but  the remodel of the Cook Carousel Pavilion as well.

In celebration of the long awaited reopening, the Museum will be open late on Friday, February 13 - extending public hours until 8:00 p.m.

👇 BELOW: THERE IS A VERY STRANGE MUSEUM TO SEE IN MICHIGAN! 👇

One of the interesting changes and enhancements to the Carousel Pavilion is now it's  detached from the main galleria to comply with requirements that create seamless connectivity through the Kent County Trail System. But do not fret, because there is a covered, heated walkway to make sure museum visitors can easily access the pavilion.

What a job it has been to totally restore the carousel. A team of artists at the GRPM dedicated thousands of hours to restoring the Carousel’s horses and menagerie animals by hand. Also, workers reworked the mechanical and electrical systems to make sure it runs safely for years to come.

New accessibility enhancements were made with guidance from Disability Advocates of Kent County, the Mary Free Bed Guild, and Meijer.

The Spillman Carousel will be open to Museum guests from 10:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M.  daily. With a general admission ticket, the Carousel costs $3 to ride, with a reduced price of $1 for GRPM members. Admission and Carousel tickets can be purchased in advance at grpm.org.