The Carousel on the Mall Is Open for the Season!
Wednesday, March 10, 2010 at 9:00AM 
If the carousel is open on DC’s National Mall, can the tourists or cherry blossoms be far behind?
The answer is emphatically “No.”
I was down on The Mall recently, and, while there still seems to be a dearth of squirrels, the carousel is open for business. The carousel was built for Gwynn Oak Park, near Baltimore, MD, in 1947 and moved to The Mall in 1975. It replaced an earlier carousel constructed in 1922 that was past its prime.
In Pamplona, Spain, the running of the bulls occurs every year in July. In DC, the running of the tourists begins every March. The advance party is already here—as are some tour buses with school tours. Hooray for Tim and I. The two of us here at DCLikeaLocal.com earn the bulk of our tour guiding money (such as it is) during student tour season. Hooray, hooray! My checking account needs the infusion of cash, thank you.
In the midst of all these tourists with children, however, you will find the one place your kiddies will definitely want to see is the carousel. It is located in front of the Arts and Industries Building (closed for renovation) opposite the Natural History Museum. If you walk by with kids, you will not escape. Warning: It’s $2.50 a ride this year! Additional warning: There may be huge lines during the Cherry Blossom Festival, so you might want to forget to tell the kids about it then and exercise your privilege as parents to use evasive action. If the kids can hear the oompah music, you are doomed!
I almost hopped on for a spin myself. Of course, at my age I might have looked a bit ridiculous spinning in circles--or maybe not. In any event I wouldn’t have to worry about losing my-uh-lunch on something like a roller coaster.
Reader Comments (2)
excellent news. i can take the kinder in the mornings!!
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