Big News in the DC Metro Area! One of DC's best loved treasures - the 1921 historic Dentzel Carousel is closing for the winter on September 30. This will be the end of its 98th season in the Glen Echo Park. Don't worry though - the Carousel will be back in the spring, 2019.
THEN AND WOW is Happening on September 29-30 at Glen Echo
This festival celebrates Glen Echo today and yesterday! It is the last day to ride the beautifully-renovated, historic Dentzel carousel for the 2018 season, but there is sstill lots of time to enjoy all the wonderful arts programs in the Park.
Then & Wow! is the Glen Echo Park Partnership's annual family festival celebrating the Park's revitalization as an arts center and recalling its history, when the site was an amusement park.
The event features kiddie rides and arcade games, as well as videos and an exhibition on the Park's history. Admission to the park is free. Rides and some activities require tickets.
Some of the other events going on at THEN AND WOW include
* Arcade Games & Prizes
* Kiddie Rides
* Do-It-Yourself Vintage Photo Station
* Self-guided tours and dancing
* Juggling and Magic Performances
* Mini Golf and High Strikers
* Park History Exhibition, Tours & Films
The carousel operates from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., $1.25 per ride.
Glen Echo Park History
National Chautauqua Assembly, which taught the sciences, arts, languages, and literature. The Chautauqua lasted for just one season, and by the early 1900s, the site had become Glen Echo Amusement Park -- the premier amusement park serving the Washington area until 1968, when it closed.
In 1971, after the federal government obtained the land, the National Park Service began managing a new park on the site. The National Park Service collaborated with artists and arts organizations to create a rich arts program in the spirit of the original Chautauqua movement. Today the park is managed by the nonprofit Glen Echo Park Partnership for Arts and Culture, Inc. on behalf of Montgomery County, Maryland.
The Partnership oversees the Park's arts and cultural programs and maintains the historic facilities. The National Park Service continues its role in managing the grounds and providing historic interpretation.
Today, the park is host to many resident arts and cultural organizations, artist studios, a thriving social dance program, a restored carousel, and numerous classes in visual and performing arts.
All About the Dentzel Carousel at Glen Echo Park
During Glen Echo Amusement Park glory days as an amusement park, the Dentzel Carousel was the jewel of the park and it still remains the most treasured centerpiece of the park for visitors.
An afternoon outing was not complete without a ride on the carousel. The carousel was manufactured by the Dentzel Carousel Company and brought to the park in 1921 installed in a 12-sided canopy building in 1921.
Dentzel Carousels are known for their realistic, graceful animals and elaborates carvings. The Glen Echo carousel is called a "menagerie carousel" because of it is made up of many different animals. The 40 horses, 4 rabbits, 4 ostriches, giraffe, deer, lion, and tiger stand in three concentric rings. The carousel moves to the music of a Wurlitzer band organ. Only 12 Wurlitzer organs of this style are known to exist.
When the amusement park closed, rides were sold including the carousel. Glen Echo Town councilwoman Nancy Long organized a successful fundraising drive to buy back the park's beloved carousel. Local residents mounted an aggressive campaign that raised $80,000 in private funds to buy the carousel from an organization that had purchased it after the park closed. An additional $10,000 assured the return of the Wurlitzer organ. The carousel and organ were donated to the National Park Service with the understanding that they would remain at Glen Echo Park and be operated for public enjoyment.
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