Home - The Maine State Carousel

Woodcarvers Building A Historic Maine Merry-Go Round

A group of woodcarvers and artisans in the Greater Portland, ME area have begun a project to create a full-size operating carousel. The carousel will be entirely based on the history, the traditions, and the environment of Maine. This museum you can ride on will be built by volunteer artisans throughout Maine and will be genuinely unique because:

All the hand-carved riding animals will be the wild and farm animals found in our state.
Painted and carved portraits of historically prominent Mainers will decorate the outside carousel canopy.
Painted scenes from significant events in Maine history will cover the inside canopy.
Paintings of well-known regional landmarks will surround the center mast.
Names of towns, villages, and cities will be painted and carved on the decorative moldings.
Quilt banners will depict the highlights of Maine’s varied regions.

Help Us Create The Maine State Carousel

We live in an age when people are so concerned with where they are going that they tend to forget where we have been. We feel this carousel will be a highly attractive way to remind youngsters of all ages that Maine is deeply rooted in an unusually rich and inspirational past. It is a past that can teach us much about living in the present, And perhaps even more important, it is a past that can suggest new ways to prepare for the future.

Gerry Holzman, a retired professional woodcarver, organized and directed a similar project in New York State that successfully created the Empire State Carousel. He has recently moved to Brunswick and has volunteered to serve on our Board of Directors and be a hands-on adviser to our artisans.

Now, we need seed money to establish our non-profit organization and to begin a program to publicize the carousel project. We need funds to produce advertising, recruit volunteer woodworkers, carvers, mechanics, electricians, painters, and quilters from every region of Maine.

Will you help us create a Maine State Carousel?