GRAND RAPIDS, MI — For the first time in 97 years, Grand Rapids Public Museum’s carousel will be wheelchair accessible.

Installed at 272 Pearl St. NW in 1994, the 1928 Spillman Carousel has become a piece of the Grand Rapids Public Museum’s identity. The riverside “icon” is undergoing a $12 million to $15 million restoration that will add feature accessibility upgrades like sound-dampening baffles, ramps, bilingual ride announcements in both English and Spanish, and additional space for viewing.

Horses and other menagerie are also being restored to preserve their original charm.

“The carousel has become an icon of the museum. Along with the whale, they’re probably the two things people think of the most,” museum CEO Dale Robertson said. “The baseline goal of the museum is to be as phy

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