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Hand-carved carousel nearing completion for Riverside Park in Missoula
Summary
Volunteers and local craftsmen are finishing a hand-carved carousel at Riverside Park expected to be completed by the end of next month; project leaders described scope, volunteer labor and accessibility features.
Missoula will be home to what project organizers say is the first fully hand-carved carousel built in more than 60 years, and work on the attraction is expected to finish by the end of next month.
The carousel project began as an idea of Missoula woodcarver Chuck Kaparich and has grown into a multi-year volunteer effort, Caprich said. The structure that will house the carousel was designed by Missoula architect Jay Kirby.
Organizers described the finished attraction as including 38 carved ponies, two chariots for riders with disabilities, a gift shop and an authentic band organ. According to the project description, each pony required roughly 800 hours of carving and can weigh as much as 200 pounds. Volunteers also intend to install a ring machine so children on the outside row of horses can reach for a brass ring.
"It began as an idea I had, and it turned into three years of work by dozens of volunteers," Chuck Kaparich said in the meeting transcript. Jay Kirby was identified as the designer of the building that will house the carousel.
Project leaders and volunteers framed the carousel as both a piece of public art and a family attraction for Riverside Park. They described strong community support and long volunteer hours needed to finish carving, assembling and furnishing the building and mechanism.
No formal funding ordinance or city action was discussed in the transcript; the remarks focused on progress, craftsmanship and volunteer support. Completion timing, number of volunteer hours and other figures were reported by project organizers in the discussion and are included above as described.
Organizers did not present a formal city permit, funding request, or legislative action in the recorded segment. Questions about ongoing operations, maintenance funding or formal park approvals were not specified in the transcript.
Missoula residents interested in volunteering or donating to the project were directed to contact the organizers (contact details were not provided in the transcript).
