Jantzen Beach Carousel facts for kids

C. W. Parker Four-Row Park Carousel
Formerly listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places
The carousel in 2009
Location	1492 Jantzen Beach Center, Portland, Oregon
Built	c. 1904
Built by	Parker, Charles Wallace
MPS	Oregon Historic Wooden Carousels TR
NRHP reference No.	87001381
Quick facts for kids Significant dates
Added to NRHP	August 26, 1987
Removed from NRHP	January 4, 2008

The Jantzen Beach Carousel is a famous old carousel. It was also called the C. W. Parker Four-Row Park Carousel. This beautiful ride used to be at Jantzen Beach in Portland, Oregon, in the United States.

Journey of the Historic Carousel

This carousel was built around 1904. A man named C. W. Parker created it in Abilene, Kansas. It was first used at the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair.

Later, the carousel moved to Venice Beach, California. It started giving rides there in 1921. In 1928, the carousel was taken back by its owner. Its parts were then moved to Portland. This was for the opening of the Jantzen Beach Amusement Park.

Over time, the amusement park became a shopping mall. It is now called the Jantzen Beach Center. The carousel was taken out in 2012. This happened during a big $50 million update to the mall. People say the carousel is still stored safely nearby.

Protecting a Historic Treasure

In 1987, the carousel was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This is a list of important historic places in the United States. Four other carousels were also added at that time.

However, the Jantzen Beach Carousel was removed from the list in 2008. This was because there were plans to move it. The idea was to take it to the Portland Children's Museum. But this move never happened.

The Architectural Heritage Center has called the carousel "endangered." This means it is at risk of being lost. In 2012, it was put on a special list. This list, made by the Historic Preservation League of Oregon, names Oregon's Most Endangered Places.

Where is the Carousel Now?

In 2015, the mall's owner, a company called Edens, said the carousel was safe. They said it was in a special building. This building had cameras and controlled temperature.

But in early 2017, a newspaper called The Oregonian reported something different. They said no one knew where the carousel was or who owned it. Edens said they sold the carousel to another company, Kimco Realty. However, Kimco Realty said their purchase of the mall only included the land and buildings, not the carousel itself.

Finally, on September 7, 2017, the truth came out. The carousel had been given as a gift in spring 2017. It was donated to Restore Oregon, which is a nonprofit group. This donation was kept a secret until the carousel was fully transferred.