Riverfront Park Carousel

The Riverfront Park Carrousel, also known as the Looff Carrousel and the Natatorium Park carousel, is a carousel in Spokane, Washington built in 1909 by Charles I. D. Looff as a gift for Looff's daughter Emma Vogel and her husband Louis Vogel, who owned Natatorium Park in Spokane.[1] It remained at Natatorium Park until 1968 when the park closed. The carousel was then relocated to its present location at Riverfront Park in 1975 where it continues to operate.[2][3] It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on September 19, 1977.[4]

Riverfront Park Carousel or Looff Carousel
LocationRiverfront Park
Spokane, Washington
Nearest citySpokane
Coordinates47°39′38.42″N 117°25′12.99″W
Built1909
ArchitectCharles I. D. Looff
NRHP reference No.77001362
Added to NRHPSeptember 19, 1977

The carousel still contains its original 1900 Ruth & Sohn band organ, which plays 87 key B.A.B. rolls, although due to deteriorating player rolls, a digitized recording is played during the carousel's operation.[3] The organ was manufactured in Waldkirch, Germany and imported by Looff around 1900.

The carousel contains 54 horses, 1 giraffe, 1 tiger, 1 goat and 2 chariots, all hand carved by Looff himself. It also has a ring dispenser that allows the outside riders to grab a ring during each pass and then toss the ring at a clown with a hole for his mouth. If the rider is successful in capturing the brass ring, he or she can turn it in to win a free ride on the carousel.[5]

Pop culture

The TV sitcom Frasier makes reference to the carousel, calling it simply "the Looff", in the season 9 episode "Frasier has Spokane".[6]

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References
  1. Spokane's Natatorium Park - The 1909 Looff Carrousel
  2. Rivefront Park - Attractions - Looff Carrousel
  3. National Carousel Association - Census Entry
  4. Patsy M. Garrett (1976). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory – Nomination Form: Natatorium Carousel" (PDF). National Park Service. Retrieved 2014-12-08.
  5. The Spokane Antique Carrousel Society - Information
  6. "'Frasier' often put Spokane on TV map". The Spokesman-Review. May 13, 2004. Retrieved February 16, 2020.
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