Why the GR Public Museum’s carousel is closing next week
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — The Grand Rapids Public Museum has announced that its beloved 1928 Spillman Carousel will close for about a year make way for an expansion project.
The closure begins Jan. 9.
The museum said in a news release Wednesday that the entire Cook Carousel Pavilion will get a major facelift, part of a project that began last fall and will continue throughout the rest of 2024. The plan is to create more outdoor areas around the museum along the Grand River.
Costing an estimated $50 million, this is the first major expansion at the museum since it opened nearly 30 years ago. According to the museum’s website, the carousel pavilion and Grand River access work is slated to cost about $10.5 million.
Some of the modifications to the carousel pavilion include advanced stair and ramp systems, a geological rock wall and other aesthetic elements such as a living roof. The renovation will also link the museum to a 7.5-mile urban trail that will connect to the White Pine Trail, Kent Trail and the Grand River Greenway.
The carousel is expected to reopen sometime in the spring of 2025.
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