Albany carousel adds new unicorn; planned museum gets a boost

Published 1:53 pm Sunday, February 23, 2020

Disneyland bills itself as the “happiest place on earth.”

But Albany’s Historic Carousel & Museum surely owned that title this weekend, as staff and volunteers celebrated something old and something new. It definitely put a broad grin on executive director Peggy Burris’ face.

The “something new” is Marcy, a colorful unicorn who became the 37th member of the carousel’s family of animals at a reception Saturday.

“She is absolutely beautiful,” Burris said. “We’ve needed a unicorn for a long time. Every little girl is going to love riding her.”

Marcy, who Burris said was 10 years in the making, boasts a gleaming white coat and bracelets of flowers on her head and tail. A fairy on her neck also carries a flower. She was carved by Mike Edson and Bill Mickelberry, who passed away in January, and painted by Ginny Knight, Nancy O’Hearn and Erin Montoya.

The unicorn was made in honor of Bill and Nancy Mickelberry’s daughter, Marcy, who was killed in a 1988 traffic accident when she was 16 years old. Its chest plate features Bill Mickelberry’s Navy insignia.

Members of the Mickelberry family took the first ride Saturday.

According to Burris, the carousel has room for 14 more carvings.

The “something old” is a $30,000 donation from the Willamette Valley Visitors Association, which will help fund the development of an 800-square-foot museum to house nearly $500,000 worth of antique carved animals.

About two-thirds of the collection are on loan from the Dentzel Family of Port Townsend, Washington. German emigrant Gustav Dentzel founded the Dentzel Carousel Corporation in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1870. The carousel’s main mechanism was donated by the National Carousel Association through Dentzel’s great-grandson, William Dentzel III.

The goal, according to volunteer Burl Wheaton, is for visitors to enter the museum via elevator.

“When the doors open,” he said, “they will be surrounded by the museum.”

The animal carvings — some of which date to the late 1800s — have already been moved into another storage area, and volunteers have put finished plywood panels on the walls.

“We have more and more people who want to donate antique carvings to us,” Wheaton said. “I ask them to send us photos and then I take information to the museum board.”

He estimated the project’s total cost at $40,000.

WVVA Development and Industry Relations Manager Tori Middelstadt said the group’s funding comes from Travel Oregon. Grants are funded by the state’s 1.8% transient lodging tax.

“We know how important the carousel is to Albany, and we wanted to embrace this museum project,” she said. “This money is in keeping with the carousel’s mission of offering something for people of all ages.”

According to Middelstadt, having carousels in Salem, Albany and Cottage Grove gives travelers opportunities to enjoy such attractions within easy driving distance of each other.

“It’s really nice having so many carousels in this region,” she said.

Upcoming events at the Albany carousel include sensory-friendly rides April 4.

“We will slow the mechanism down and there won’t be any music,” Burris said.

An adults-only Kentucky Derby fundraiser for the carousel is set for May 2. Admission is $50 per person or $75, which includes a souvenir glass. Tickets are available at www.albanycarousel.com.

“We’re super excited about this,” Burris said. “There will be mint juleps and a Southern-style buffet. Guests will be able to bet on our ponies and can turn their winnings into Derby Dollars that can be used in our silent auction.”

The 22,000-square-foot Historic Albany Carousel & Museum opened in August 2017 after 14 years of development.