The Heritage Carousel of Des Moines, Iowa is one of the rare wooden carousels built since the 1930's. The Heritage Carousel has been traditionally crafted to achieve and old-fashioned "feel" and sound.
Carousel Works, Inc. of Mansfield, Ohio, world-renowned craftsmen of wooden carousels, constructed the Heritage Carousel. It features a Stinson band organ and a 37-foot, 3-row menagerie that accommodates as many as 35 riders with. There are 30 animals and 2 handicap accessible chariots on the carousel. The hand-carved and expertly painted animals include horses, a tiger, a stork, rabbits, an ostrich, a zebra, a baby elephant, a honey bear, a pirate cat, a giraffe, a panda and even a sea urchin.
Des Moines and the surrounding area are depicted on the carousel with scenes of Old Main at Drake University, Terrace Hill, The Botanical Center, Dallas County Courthouse, a covered bridge, The Victoria Hotel, the Civic Center, the State Historical Building, a 1940 circa farm scene, and Salisbury House.
