Kit Carson County Carousel
Burlington, United States of America
Kit Carson County Carousel, this is your top vintage vibe spot in Burlington, Colorado, a true timeless attraction. This 1905 Philadelphia Toboggan Company Carousel number six, originally built for Elitch Gardens, is your absolute must-see icon here. It ran every summer at Elitch Gardens until 1928,
when the park sold it plus its original band organ to Kit Carson County for just 1,200 dollars, including train delivery costs to Burlington. After sitting in storage through six Depression years, it reopened in 1937 and quickly became a local legend. Its official restoration of the band organ started in 1976, leading to its National Historic Site designation in 1978 and National Historic Landmark status in 1987. That same 1987 year saw extensive restoration work returning original paint to its animals, chariots, and outer rim, along with new siding and Victorian-inspired landscaping around the carousel building. A second animal restoration followed in 1992, and by 1997 grants financed research into its original lighting, machinery room, moldings on the paintings, and the Wurlitzer band organ. Speaking of drama, in May 1981 thieves stole three small horses and a donkey during a heavy rainstorm. They were later recovered from a Salina, Kansas warehouse and returned to Burlington following a community parade in October 1981, with commemorative markers on the carousel now marking those recovered animals' locations. The carousel itself features three rows in a park-style stationary se
Listen to the audio guide for Kit Carson County Carousel Free on WIP — starts by itself when you arrive, even with the screen offNearby
- Kit Carson Correctional Center prison · 2 km away