A spirit of giving on the part of individuals and an entire community is behind the effort to build A Carousel for Missoula. It’s a volunteer-built amusement park ride located in Caras Park in downtown Missoula, Montana. The Carousel has been able to provide the city with a unique attraction that pulls in an audience from all over, but more importantly, shows what’s possible when a community comes together to build and support something monumentous.
“I Will Build a Carousel for Missoula”
In 1990, Missoula cabinetmaker Chuck Kaparich was inspired by a visit to the Looff Carousel and decided he wanted to buy a carousel horse for himself. He carved four carousel ponies and purchased an antique frame that was in thousands of pieces. He needed a place to put it though, and so in 1991 he made a promise to the Missoula City Council.
“If you will give it a home, and promise no one will ever take it apart, I will build A Carousel for Missoula,” he told the Council. The Council agreed and Kaparich’s dream of A Carousel for Missoula became the dream of the whole community. Mechanics began the process of restoring 16,066 pieces of the antique frame and motor while Kaparich began to teach others how to carve new ponies for the attraction.
Funds to pay for A Carousel for Missoula’s carving materials came from auctions and pony “adoptions”. All of the ponies on the Carousel have their own unique identity and story, and by July 1992, all 38 horses and both chariots were adopted by donors. Over $100,000 in cash and pledges was raised as a result of these efforts.
By Opening Day, May 27th 1995, over 100,000 hours of volunteer time had gone into the construction of 38 permanent ponies, three replacement ponies, two chariots, 14 gargoyles, gargoyle frames and mirror frames, along with the largest band organ in continuous use in the United States. All of it was contained within a jewel box building, specially built to house the ride.
The impact on and for the Missoula community can be seen both in terms of how A Carousel for Missoula was funded and kinds of experiences it has opened up for both residents and tourists.
A Community Endeavor and Experience
Members of the Missoula community donated time, services, materials and plenty more to make the Carousel a reality. School children collected over one million pennies to adopt four ponies, while the community engagement extended as far as Canada, where the Midnight Rose Carvers in Calgary built a friendship horse for Missoula. This community involvement goes the other way as well, as volunteers carve ponies for other carousels and local not-for-profit organizations, and also restore ponies for antique carousels.
While this involvement spurred the creation and success of the Carousel, it has also enabled an expansion of what it represents. In the spring of 2001, over 4,000 volunteers gathered to create The Dragon Hollow play area next to the Carousel in just nine days. Today, the playground sees scores of children running and climbing in this distinctive play area created by the people of Missoula.
The experiences of the community are what have driven the interest and popularity of these attractions, and riders are encouraged to share their stories with everyone. Whether it’s someone talking about bringing their whole family out for a ride or expressing an interest in seeing the magic of the Carousel carry on for generations, these experiences are what the community originally wanted to enable, and they continue to drive interest in the attraction.
The economic opportunities A Carousel for Missoula has opened up are what ultimately make these experiences possible though, and they’re opportunities that are realized in several direct and ancillary ways.
The Economics of a Community Funded Endeavor
Since it opened, the Carousel has given about 225,000 rides per year, and each ride represents a direct source of revenue. However, the real economic opportunities for the Carousel are associated with a variety of ancillary sources of revenue. They’re critical for this community funded and supported endeavor, as they’ve allowed A Carousel for Missoula to generate the income it needs to survive and grow.
The Carousel can be rented for private events and celebrations for 100 sit-down, or 200 standing room guests. Birthday parties or other festivities can also be scheduled during public hours. Souvenirs of all types are available for purchase in the gift shop, and these range from coloring books to snow globes to ride tokens to genuine pieces of A Carousel for Missoula history. Some of these products are also available for purchase online.
New sponsorship options are also available, but it’s easy enough for anyone to simply donate to the cause. For a set fee, individuals can adopt a hand-carved, wooden horse or dragon corbel that will stand watch over the Carousel and its riders. Supporters can also adopt a limestone panel carved by local artisan, or adopt an entire room.
The events calendar provides a new level of engagement for the community as well as an important source of revenue. Numerous sponsorships are available for each event, and that is in addition to any entry fees charged by the venue. These kinds of events have helped draw more people to Caras Park and the area as a whole, an indication of the power attractions like the Carousel hold for individuals and entire communities.
A Legacy for Missoula
A Carousel for Missoula was built to provide the community of Missoula with a new option for old-fashioned fun. In coming together to create an attraction that can host parties for kids and adults just as easily as it can provide an entire family with an afternoon of activity, the effort has enabled a legacy for Missoula that continues to grow and positively impact the present and future of the entire region.
