Rural Missouri - August 2024 - 23

Opposite page: Linda Lampkin
brought a carousel to Appleton City
as a gift for the town's kids. The ride
was part of a carnival that came to
the town until its owner died. Linda
also built an octagonal building to
house it. Left: Of all the animals on
the carousel, Linda says she likes the
rooster best. She operates the ride
herself and did much of the work to
restore it and protect it for future
generations.
WATCH VIDEO
Scan to watch a video
of the Appleton City
Carousel in action.
1,063. In fact, the National Carousel Organization lists
just 11 Missouri carousels on its website, not counting the
one in Appleton City. Most of these are located in Kansas
City and St. Louis. Both Perry and Perryville are home to
historic carousels, with the latter spinning three days only
at the annual Seminary Picnic set for Aug. 2-4 this year.
Linda had few sources for information on how to set up
and operate her new purchase. Undaunted, she set up a
charitable organization called Appleton City Carousel Inc.
to allow donations. Then she set out to find other towns
with a carousel. One that offered inspiration was in Story
City, Iowa. This one was housed in an octagonal building
and that's what Linda chose to build for hers.
She found a location on Main Street in Appleton City
that once was the site of a double set of store buildings
that had fallen into disrepair and been removed. Groundbreaking
took place in July 2022, and that's when the first
obstacle was discovered. When the old buildings were removed,
stones from the foundation were buried. These had
to be painstakingly dug up and the hole filled with gravel.
The octagonal, maintenance-free building that would
house the carousel was completed in January 2023. It
features seven garage doors that can be opened for riders
to experience the outdoor breezes from the carousel's
carnival days. A large picture window in the center offers
glimpses of the carousel when it isn't open.
With its new home completed, it was time to install the
center of attention. Linda says careful measurements before
the building was built allowed the carousel, which is
on wheels, to slide in with just inches to spare. She would
spend the spring of 2023 returning the machine to its former
glory.
Metal braces were powder coated to protect it for years
to come. Linda painted other parts of the carousel herself.
She replaced the mirrors on the canopy and checked each
light bulb.
The first public rides began on Memorial Day weekend
this past year, much to the delight of families that found
their way to the new attraction from miles around. Linda
tracked where the visitors came from. She says more than
800 kids rode the carousel in its first summer of operation.
They came from three foreign countries and 20 states as
far away as Vermont, Florida and California.
One area student had her senior photos taken on the
carousel's giraffe. She had been one of the first to ride
when the attraction opened.
It's hard to tell who is having more fun when the carousel
is in operation, Linda running the controls or the kids
sporting huge grins as the hang on tightly to their chosen
mount. Shrieks of laughter can be heard above the calliope
music from the sound system Linda installed.
" The smiles come out, " Linda says. " I've had some that
didn't want to ride. And then they didn't want to get off. "
As its fame spread, Linda was excited to learn the
Appleton City Carousel was voted the Best Kid-Friendly
Attraction by readers of Rural Missouri in the 2024 Best of
Rural Missouri contest. " We won over some pretty goodsized
venues, " Linda says. " So that was fun. "
Linda says the project has been challenging but rewarding.
" The town was always good to me growing up, " she
says. " I wish it was a money-making project for the future
but it's not, and that's fine. I want it to be available for any
kind of economic situation a family may be in. "
The carousel is open from 4 to 7 p.m. on weekends from
Memorial Day through Labor Day.
Riders must be taller than 42
inches and weigh no more than
150 pounds to ride, although parents
can stand beside smaller riders.
It is located at 109 E. Fourth St. in
Appleton City. For more information,
visit www.acmogov.com/ac-carousel
or call 660-476-5857.
Appleton City
AUGUST 2024 | RURALMISSOURI.COOP 23
http://www.acmogov.com/ac-carousel http://www.RURALMISSOURI.COOP
Rural Missouri - August 2024

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Rural Missouri - August 2024
