The Heritage Walk in downtown Spokane, Washington features numerous paths and attractions that highlight the history of the city and culture of the region. The Heritage Walks for both East and West Spokane show off a variety of the buildings, statues and churches that have made the area what it is, but the Looff Carousel on the Central Heritage Walk has and continues to provides residents and visitors with a timeless experience that resonates with each on a deeper level.
Over a Century of Experiences
The history of the area stretches back to 1873, and this history is protected in a very real way since 50% of Spokane’s downtown is designated as historic. In 1909, Charles I.D. Looff made his own mark on that history when he built the Carousel, although he did so in a different place than where the Carousel resides today. The Carousel was originally a gift for Looff’s daughter Emma Vogel and her husband Louis Vogel, who owned Natatorium Park in Spokane.
Looff was a master carver and builder of hand-carved carousels and amusement rides. He built over 40 carousels in his lifetime and became famous for creating the unique Coney Island style of carousel carving. His Riverfront Park Carousel, also known as the Looff Carousel and the Natatorium Park Carousel, was a popular attraction for decades, but the park’s closure in 1968 ended all of that.
Thanks to the efforts of William S. Fearn and his “Save Spokane’s Merry-Go-Round” campaign, the Carousel was relocated to Riverfront Park in 1975 where it continues to operate in a building constructed specifically for it. The Carousel still contains its original 1900 Ruth & Sohn band organ along with 54 horses, 1 giraffe, 1 tiger, 1 goat and 2 chariots.
Riding the Carousel isn’t just a passive experience, as a ring dispenser 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, they can turn it in to win a free ride on the Carousel.
That experience is part of the reason the Looff Carousel is on the National Register of Historic Places, which has also contributed to the impact the Carousel has had on the economy and culture of the area.
A Featured Attraction on the Spokane Heritage Walk
The numerous buildings, plaques and statues on each part of the Spokane Heritage Walk commemorate the past, but the Looff Carousel has been able to do that while also having an impact on the present. While other nearby walks feature numerous attractions, the fact that the Looff Carousel is inherently different from everything else in the city creates a distinct appeal that has resonated in various ways.
Friday Night Flights is just one example of the types of events that are held at Looff Carousel on a regular basis. Spokane Riverfront Park hosts numerous events that are designed to attract both residents and tourists, and they create a new level of engagement for people, regardless of where they’re coming from.
These events have proven to serve as direct sources of revenue, and they’re further supported by other direct sources of revenue from both the sales of merchandise and tickets at the Looff Carousel. Like other famous carousels, the Looff Carousel has been able to take advantage of the unique revenue opportunities that are associated with this one-of-a-kind attraction.
The National Register of Historic Places isn’t the only organization to recognize the significance of the Looff Carousel though, as the National Carousel Association awarded it their Historical Carousel Award in 1995. It’s a recognition of how the Carousel preserves the past, maintains the present and ensures the future. Doing so has secured a legacy for both the Carousel and the region.
Preserving Spokane’s Historic Places
The Heritage Walk is ultimately designed to provide self-guided tours of downtown Spokane’s historic places that are spread across the West, Central and East regions of the city. By serving as what some would call the featured attraction of the entire Walk, the Looff Carousel has been able to make a major impact on the community. It’s a distinction that will open up opportunities for new attractions on the Walk, while also increasing the appeal of the Walk itself.
