C. W. Parker Carousel facts for kids

The C. W. Parker Carousel is a super cool old carousel that was built way back in 1912! It's currently spinning and bringing joy at the Burnaby Village Museum in Burnaby, British Columbia. You can find it in Deer Lake Park. This special carousel is also known as the Parker #119 because it was the 119th machine made by the C. W. Parker Company. People also call it the Burnaby Centennial Parker Carousel. It has 41 beautiful horses to ride and is located inside a building called the Don Wrigley Pavilion. This pavilion is at one of the museum's entrances, which is why that entrance is often called the "Carousel Entrance."

History of the Carousel

The C. W. Parker Carousel was built in 1912 in Leavenworth, Kansas. The company that made it was owned by Charles Wallace Parker. This was their 119th carousel! It was sold in 1913 for $5,886.00.

For two years, this carousel traveled all over Texas with the Lone Star Circus. Imagine how many people got to ride it back then! In 1915, it was sent back to the factory.

It's thought that the factory might have made some changes to the carousel. They might have added some fancier horses and stronger "rounding boards" (the decorative panels around the top). Some of the horses you see today were actually built a bit later, between 1917 and 1922. We don't know much about what happened to the carousel from 1915 to 1936.

In 1936, an amusement park in Vancouver, British Columbia, called Happyland, bought the carousel. It stayed there until Happyland was taken down in 1957. Then, the carousel moved to a new, smaller building at another Vancouver amusement park called Playland. But that building was also taken down in 1972.

From 1972 to 1989, the Parker #119 carousel was used outdoors. This meant it had to be put away every winter to protect it from the weather.

Saving the Carousel

In 1989, there was news that the carousel was going to be sold off. Each horse would be sold separately at an auction in New York! This made local people sad. They decided to work together to save it. They formed a group called the "Friends of the Vancouver Carousel Society." This is when the carousel got its nickname, the Parker #119.

In May 1989, the Burnaby Village Museum offered to give the carousel a new home. The "Friends" group, led by their president Don Wrigley, started raising money. They needed $350,000 to buy the carousel! A carousel expert named Keith Jamieson helped with the plan to rebuild it. In 1990, the carousel was finally bought.

People also donated money to help restore the carousel. Many people who donated a lot of money could even sponsor a horse and give it a name! The museum agreed to build a brand new building just for the carousel. This building, called the Don Wrigley Pavilion, was finished in 1993. After all this hard work, the carousel was officially named the Burnaby Centennial Parker Carousel.

Carousel Horses

The C. W. Parker Carousel has 41 unique horses, plus some other special pieces! Many of these horses were sponsored and named by people or groups who helped save the carousel. Each horse has its own special look and style.

Here are a few examples of the amazing horses you can find:

• Note: Some items listed, like the Gold Heart Chariot or the four small ponies (A. Loving, B. Caring, C. Sharing, D. Helping Hand), are not traditional horses but are counted as part of the carousel's 41 pieces. There's also a Wurlitzer Band Organ and two small metal ponies (Senate Appointee and Franworth) that are part of the collection but not actually on the carousel itself.