Program Description
"Salem's Riverfront Carousel project was inspired by a trip Hazel Patton took in 1996, to visit family in Missoula, Montana. While there she went to see the first old-world-style carousel built in the U.S. since the Great Depression. When Hazel rode the carousel, she knew it was more than the music and motion of the ornately carved and hand-painted horses that created magic in Missoula. The real beauty was how the carousel united the community by combining history with the creative talents of Missoula's citizens. She was compelled to bring a similar project to the banks of the Willamette River.