The Joyland carousel will soon be spinning again, more than 14 years after the amusement park closed.
Botanica is breaking ground Monday on its new Carousel Gardens. The $3 million addition will house the newly restored carousel, which Joyland donated to Botanica in 2014.
The carousel was built in 1949 and served as a staple of the Wichita amusement park until it closed in 2004.
Marty Miller, Botanica’s executive director, said it was important to preserve history by keeping the carousel in Wichita.
“Restoring the carousel is really an opportunity to preserve a nostalgic piece of equipment,” Miller said. “But it is also a piece of history for Wichita.”
All restoration work on the carousel has been done locally.
Botanica will host a groundbreaking ceremony Monday afternoon in its Children’s Garden Meadow.
A grand opening for the new garden is expected for next September.
Ray Strunk is an intern in the KMUW News Lab.