Carousel for Missoula

Updated: January 28, 2026

Children of all ages in Montana know that one of the treasures of our state lies right within the city of Missoula on the riverfront in Caras Park. It's Missoula's Carousel, whose playful wooden horses prance gaily up and down to the festive music of the pipe organ. Whirling round and round, the ponies parade you through a fantasy of brightly painted gargoyles and dragons. Contagious smiles and laughter are reflected in the lights and mirrors as the next group of eager riders watch with anticipation.

The Carousel was the concept of Chuck Kaparich, the grandson of a Croatian immigrant to the Butte copper mines. Kaparich, with childhood memories of the Columbia Gardens in Butte, a reverence for his family history, and an interest sparked by a trip to the Spokane carousel, began carving his first pony around 1988-1990. His carving led to another and then another. With each new pony, his vision became clearer: a carousel in Caras Park. In 1991, taking one of his ponies in hand, Kaparich met with the Missoula City Council and then with the Missoula Redevelopment Agency; the dream caught on. By Opening Day, May 27, 1995, more than 100,000 hours of volunteer time had gone into the project.

Wood carvers were recruited through classes and workshops, and volunteers came from across the region. But most of the excitement for the project was created by the horses themselves. By July 1992, all 38 horses and both chariots had been 'adopted' by donors, ultimately raising about $100,000 in cash and pledges. By the completion of the project, hundreds of individuals and local businesses had given financial support, and over 100,000 volunteer hours had been contributed to carving, sanding, painting, building, and installing the Carousel and its 'jewel box' building.

Here are some interesting facts about the Missoula Carousel:

• There are 38 hand-carved horses and 2 chariot rides on the operating carousel, plus several replacement ponies carved in case a horse must be removed for repair.
• It takes about 800 hours to carve, sand, and paint a carousel horse.
• The horses are carved from basswood, which comes from linden trees.
• The design of each horse was selected by its 'adoptive parents,' and each horse has its own unique features and characteristics, from armor and tassels to flowers, jewels, and local symbols.

Another wonderful aspect of the Missoula Carousel is the Stinson band organ. It is America's largest carousel band organ in continuous use, with more than 400 hand-made wooden pipes. These 400 pipes duplicate the sound of 23 instruments and about 45 musicians: saxophone, flutes, piccolos, violins, viola, bass drum, snare drum, wood block and cymbal, a tiny cast bell, and a shiny chrome xylophone. The smallest pipe is about two inches and the longest is roughly 10 feet. The wood used for these pipes is yellow poplar and maple, with walnut caps on the clarinet row. The organ plays music punched onto paper song rolls much like that of a player piano, including special rolls created just for the Carousel.

Today, A Carousel for Missoula continues to entertain children and adults year-round. The Carousel is open seven days a week, generally from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. in fall, winter, and spring, and from 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. in summer (mid-June through Labor Day), with occasional early closures for private events; visitors are encouraged to call or check current hours online. Since opening in 1995, the Carousel has given hundreds of thousands of rides each year, all in the heart of downtown Missoula's Caras Park.

A Carousel for Missoula.

Updated: January 28, 2026