LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — The historic Over-the-Jumps Carousel at the Little Rock Zoo is turning 100, and in celebration, a local group is working to restore and preserve this special landmark.
The beloved carousel has easily reached over a million rides in its lifetime since it was built in the 1920s, and now the Little Rock Repair Shop is helping keep that history alive.
“What I do with historic restoration is a niche market. I get most of the weird stuff that nobody else will touch when it comes to fixing things around Little Rock in Central Arkansas and across the state as well," said Michael Crenshaw, owner and lead restorationist for the Little Rock Repair Shop. "We've done a lot of historic restoration for, you know, about 20-25 years. This is about the pinnacle right here.”
It’s an attraction that generations have enjoyed, including Crenshaw and his restoration crew, which makes the project even closer to their hearts.
“I rode on this when I was a kid. Friends of mine, two of the guys that were installing the horses with us, we all rode on this as a kid. Our kids have ridden on this as kids as well. Everybody that I've run into, clients of mine, that have brought furniture and lighting over to the shop, have seen these horses, and they have stories about riding on them as kids, and everybody's faces always light up," Crenshaw described.
It's this excitement that drives the Central Arkansas native to keep the carousel's history alive.
“These [carousel horses] were hand carved in 1924 by the Herschell-Spillman engineering company in North Tonawanda, New York. The work is exquisite. This was made as a traveling carousel, originally," he explained. "It wasn't made stationary until 1942. Before then, for the first 20 years of its life, it traveled from fair to fair, you know, little amusement park kinds of fair rides and stuff."
The carousel found its permanent home in Little Rock in 1942 as part of the Fun Park at War Memorial Stadium before relocating to its current spot at the Little Rock Zoo in 2007.
Crenshaw said their first restoration on the carousel was about 15 years ago, and their latest project has been underway for a year now.
“There's 40 horses total on the carousel. I think, after the ones we just finished installing, we have eight left to finish and then we have all four of the sleighs to do," he said.
Many have poured love and support into the attraction, from providing financial support to even naming several of the horses.
“Civitas is a horse that came from a donation of the Civitan Club here in Little Rock. One of these horse's names is Joan of Arc because the person who donated the money says that Joan of Arc is in their family line somewhere, way back there. I mean, how can you prove something like that? She was burned at the stake," Crenshaw said.
No matter the story behind the name, thousands have and continue to create their own. However, as generations have continued to share the fun, that creates wear and tear.
“These [restorations] do take time. They take about a week per horse, on average, from start to finish, with taking the paint back and sanding and finishing, conditioning the wood, bringing up all of the flesh tones, and then the solid colors on the decorations and stuff," Crenshaw said.
He added that longevity is key to keeping a piece alive. Efforts are happening now to organize monthly maintenance after they finish the restoration project.
“The carousel is on the National Historic Register, and it's been of great interest to the city, the state, and the National Carousel Association. This is one that's gotten a lot of attention because it's the last one left operational of its kind. It runs. You know, we've got four left of this undulating track style where the track goes up and down and up and down. There are four left. This is the only one of the four that runs," Crenshaw described.
To continue keeping the Over-the-Jumps Carousel running for future generations to come, bigger changes could be on the way later down the line.
“What really needs to happen here is at some point in time, this whole thing needs to be enclosed and this needs to be climate controlled. We need air conditioning. We need heat in the winter. We need to bring this away from the outside, the exterior elements and stuff," Crenshaw explained.
However, in the meantime, the purpose remains the same from when it was crafted in 1924 to now in 2024— to bring joy to those who stop for that three-minute ride with each turn and gallop.
“This is for everybody. This is for the family. This is for kids. This is for everybody," Crenshaw said.
The grand celebration for the centennial starts on Tuesday, September 10 at 4 p.m. with a special presentation at 6:30 p.m.
There will be complementary rides all night, which typically cost a small fee without a zoo membership.
To learn more about the centennial celebration, the carousel, or how to obtain a zoo membership, click here.