The Heritage Carousel of Des Moines, Iowa: Wooden menagerie carousel, Union Park, Des Moines, Iowa

2017 First Rider of the Year, Brooklyn!

Brooklyn - Our 2017 First Rider Winner!

2017 First Rider Winner Brooklyn

Brooklyn was chosen to be the 2017 First Rider of the Year on Saturday, May 20. She was selected out of a field of 30 finalists. Brooklyn chose to ride Spirit for the first ride of the season. She was then joined by the other finalists for the second ride and then everyone got to ride! It was a cold and blustery day outside, but the Carousel was warmed by many happy, smiling children of all ages inside!

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Cruise to the Carousel

The Rollin Relics sponsored the 16th annual Cruise to the Carousel on Sunday, August 28. It was another great success! There were 186 cars registered for the Car Show. Estimates put the crowd at 700 to 800. Guests were able to look at all the cars, bid on silent auction items, sign up for door prizes, enjoy food and drink and, as always, enjoy a free ride on the Carousel! The Carousel had nearly 1,000 riders during the event.

The winner of the coveted Carousel Choice Award was Gene Poore. Gene’s car is a 1940 Ford Sedan. The winner of the Union Park Neighborhood Association award was a beautiful 1941 Oldsmobile owned by Chuck Clark. To see more pictures from the show, check out the Rollin Relics facebook page, rollinrelicsdsm.

Cruise to the Carousel is a fun event for the community but it is also very important to the Carousel. It is the largest fundraiser for the Carousel each year. This year, members of the Rollin Relics presented the Heritage Carousel with a check for $7,000.00. Support from donors like the Rollin Relics allows us to maintain and update the Carousel while keeping the cost of a ride to 50 cents for children. For more information about donating to the Carousel, click here.

Thank you Rollin Relics!!

Carousel Choice Award Winner Gene Poore and his 1940 Ford Sedan

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Thank You to Our Wonderful Volunteers!!

Many thanks to all of the wonderful volunteers who helped make the 2016 Clowns at the Carousel a success! You are greatly appreciated by the Clowns at the Carousel committee as well as the community served by the event. Thank you for being so generous with your time and talent. Please check out all of the photos from the event.

2016 Heritage Carousel First Rider!

The Heritage Carousel held its Grand Opening for the 2016 Season on Saturday, May 21, 2016. The winner of the First Rider Contest was TJ. He was chosen from over 100 entrants to be the official First Rider of the Heritage Carousel in 2016. TJ got to choose his favorite animal and then was joined by other children for the 2016 First Ride.

Riders and their families were invited to sign up to win prizes and everyone had a chance to purchase Carousel T-shirts and other items. Over 900 riders showed up for Opening Day at the Heritage Carousel!

View more photos from Opening Day!

Many thanks to the Rollin' Relics!!

The Heritage Carousel is so very grateful to The Rollin' Relics Car Club. On December 7, 2015, The Rollin' Relics presented The Heritage Carousel with a donation check in the amount of $7,000 before the Des Moines City Council meeting. Amazing! We are humbled by all of the hard work, love, and dedication that every member of The Rollin Relics Car Club has put into making Cruise to the Carousel such a success. It is a fabulous event enjoyed by all!

The Rollin' Relics are the largest contributor to The Heritage Carousel and have generously donated over $46,000 in the past 15 years to help keep the Carousel going 'round and keep the rides at 50 cents for children.


THANK YOU!!!

The Heritage Carousel has met our goal!!

The Heritage Carousel has surpassed our goal of raising $5,000! In early 2015, The Principal Financial Group awarded us with a Community Challenge Grant. Our goal was to raise $5,000 to match a grant that would then be awarded by The Principal Financial Group in the amount of $5,000! Many thanks to our Carousel friends and family - you made it happen! Together we raised just over $6,000. All of the money raised as well as the grant funds awarded will go towards continued maintenance and painting of The Heritage Carousel so that we can keep it beautiful and functional for our community.

We express our thanks to The Principal Financial Group for their generosity and look forward to keeping The Heritage Carousel beautiful for years to come. As always, children's rides are just 50 cents.

To all of the friends of The Heritage Carousel, thank you!

Thank you for a wonderful 2015 season!!

We gave nearly 54,000 rides this year...WOW! That is a lot of smiles!! Please join us on Facebook or sign up for our e-mails to stay informed of any special events or offers that may occur during the off season! We look forward to seeing you again in the Spring!!

Purchase your 2016 Season pass now!

Family and Grandparent passes only $35. Childcare Season Passes available starting at $40.
To purchase your Season Passes and/or donate: Click Here

Keep the Carousel going 'round and affordable to many!! For a minimum donation of $150, you can adopt one of the animals or chariots on the Carousel! Perfect for those who love to ride the Carousel, a unique way to honor someone, and a great way to help the Carousel remain available for all to enjoy! Included in your adoption donation is:

Contact us to be put onto a waiting list to adopt an animal for the 2016 season!

Help support the goal of the Des Moines Carousel Foundation to maintain and operate this beautiful and authentic Carousel and provide a wholesome, nostalgic and affordable form of entertainment for all to enjoy. Donations received will help with on-going maintenance needs such as the band organ, the building, and painting of both the animals and the Carousel. Click here for more information.