08/24/2024
ATLANTIC BEACH PARK CAROUSEL UPDATE AS OF AUGUST 2024:
For those following along at home – here is an update on our carousel.
As you know, it all began with the governmental “Covid” shutdown in 2020. This was followed by the requirements to update the building to meet current fire codes. The building updates have now been completed but during the four years that the carousel sat motionless, extensive refurbishment was required to bring it back to operational life. Antique wooden carousels are very labor intensive. It was our goal to have the carousel back up and running for the summer of 2024. Work was scheduled to be done over the winter.
On December 18th and January 11th we experienced two violent coastal storms that essentially destroyed everything inside our main building. The repairs needed to put the Windjammer back together required all our time and resources. After witnessing the damage we sustained this past winter first hand and thinking back to other storms and hurricanes, it made us seriously contemplate our future and the precautions we can take to avoid future losses. It is not “if” a future storm will come but “when”.
We have made the very difficult decision as a family to permanently retire our 1915 Herschell Spillman Carousel from its present location. This is primarily due to growing concerns of stronger storms that continue to ravage our vulnerable coastline. It is simply not a safe location to house something so old or so valuable. Should a large storm threaten the area in the future, there would not be enough time to get the horses to safety. We are proactively dismantling and storing the carousel in a location far away from the angry ocean until we can find a safe new home for it where the beautiful horses can all run together again.
We know that many of you will be disappointed by this decision. Some people won’t understand. Some people will make angry disparaging comments about how it is wrong and unfair. Please understand that this is not something that we want to do but feel we need to do for the preservation of the carousel. Our carousel and its horses have made many memories over the years for many people. The horses are part of our family, and it breaks our hearts to imagine them not being here, but we would rather keep them safe than watch them get swept out to sea. It is our genuine hope to see it up and running in the future for all to enjoy once again.
In the meantime, we are happy to offer private tours by appointment in the coming days for you to take pictures with the beautiful Ilion's Horses which date back to 1898 and learn more about the history of our carousel. We would also love for you to share your memories of the carousel and any pictures you may have from long ago.
Thank you for your understanding and for the memories made!
For tour inquires please email us at [email protected] or call 401-322-0504
