| Board of Park Commissioners |
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| Freeport Area Attractions |
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| Krape Park Merry-Go-Round |
Krape Park Merry-Go-Round
Saddle-up for a carousel ride on this historic attraction, truely unique to Krape Park. Reasonably priced at 3 rides per $1.00.
2010 Hours of Opperation:
May 1 - May 23
Open Saturdays and Sundays from Noon - Dusk
May 29 - August 29
Open Monday - Sunday from Noon - 9:00pm
September 4 - October 31
Open Saturdays and Sundays from Noon - Dusk
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 50 years. Each year, approximately 60,000 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 04/08/2010 11:01 AM by rschneider
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