Krape Park Merry-Go-Round
Saddle-up for a carousel ride on this historic attraction, truly unique to Krape Park. Reasonably priced at 50 cents per ride.
2013 Hours of Operation:
April 27 - May 26
Open Saturdays and Sundays from 11:00 AM - 6:00 PM
May 27 - August 25
Open Monday - Sunday
Weekday Hours, Noon - 8:00 PM
Weekend Hours, 11:00 AM - 8:00 PM
August 31 - October 27
Open Saturdays and Sundays from Noon - 6:00 PM
Freeport Park District Carousel History
The Krape Park Carousel is a community icon and regional attraction within Freeport. Fifty years after the installation of the Carousel in Krape Park, it remains a magical destination for children and is rich with history.
The late Robert Koenig, who served on the Freeport Park Board of Commissioners from 1942 to 1960, donated the Carousel to the Freeport Park District in 1959. The Carousel opened on July 4, 1959 and has been operating for the last 53 years. Each year, approximately 40,000 rides are taken on the Carousel. That amounts to more than 2 million rides since the Carousel opened in 1959.
It wasn’t until 1995 (36 years after the initial installation) that the Carousel was refurbished. In 1995 a community project led by Freeport resident, Gary Carr, was initiated to beautify the Freeport landmark. Some of the items changed from the original Carousel include new lighting, admissions booth, upper panels, vinyl canopy, wheelchair ramp and of course painting the horses. If you look toward the top of the Carousel, you'll notice oval panels that have different paintings. There are 12 paintings featuring portraits of local historical figures and landmarks. The portraits are those of Robert F. Koenig, Jane Addams, Chief Winneshiek, Tutty Baker, Dr. W.W. Krape, and General Smith D. Atkins. The landmark paintings are those of the old Stephenson county Courthouse, Brown’s Mill, a farm scene, Freeport High School, First Presbyterian Church and Krape Park waterfall. This impressive part of the Carousel restoration of 1995 reminds us of the great history and tradition of Freeport.
Whether you’re a new visitor to Krape Park or planning your family’s next picnic, a ride on your favorite carousel horse is a must.
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Created on 02/17/2004 12:34 PM by root
Updated on 03/08/2013 09:47 AM by rschneider
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