The Highland Park Dentzel Carousel at Highland Park is a National Historic Landmark.

Work to restore the historic Dentzel Carousel house in Highland Park is expected to begin this fall after the Meridian City Council voted Tuesday to accept a bid for the renovation work. Council members voted to award the project to Big Construction, out of Brandon, at a cost of $759,000.

 

Parks and Recreation Director Thomas Adams said the project will focus on the carousel house itself, including the doors, windows, roof and other areas in need of attention. The funding will come from a grant the city received from the Mississippi Department of Archives and History, along with some matching city funds and other budgeted project money.

 

As with the carousel itself, the carousel house is listed on the National Historic Register and is the only carousel house built from Dentzel blueprints still housing a Dentzel Carousel, according to The Mississippi Department of Archives and History. Both the carousel and the carousel house were established in Meridian in 1909.

 

Adams said the carousel house is a piece of history, as well as a popular attraction for local and visiting children, and needs to be preserved.

 

“It’s one of those historic pieces you don’t want to fizzle out and die,” he said.

 

Another aspect that sets Meridian’s carousel apart is that it is still operational. Adams said the carousel is used frequently by both individual riders and as a place to host birthday parties and other events. With children out of school for the summer, this is peak season for the carousel, he said, which is why work on the building isn’t scheduled to begin until August.

 

While work is set to begin on the carousel house, the city is also lining up funding for the second phase of the project, which will include work on the carousel itself. Parks and Recreation previously received approval to apply for a separate grant that, if awarded, will go to jumpstart those repairs.

 

Meridian’s Dentzel Carousel is one of only a handful left in the world and likely the oldest of three Dentzel menagerie carousels in the United States, The Mississippi Department of Archives and History states. It is also one of two carousels with two animals side by side.

 

Despite its age, the carousel continues to be a popular attraction in the Queen City, Adams said, and travelers along the interstate frequently make the trip over to Highland Park for a ride. The carousel will have to be shut down once work begins on the carousel house, he said, but for now, it’s business as usual.

 

Rides on the carousel cost $1 each, and it remains a popular venue for birthday parties or other celebrations. Those wanting to know more about reserving the carousel can contact Meridian Parks and Recreation at 601-612-0210.