There’s an undeniable feeling of wonder that circulates in the air when you enter the building that houses Nederland’s Carousel of Happiness (COH). The 19th century organ pumps intoxicatingly familiar fanfare which mingles with the excited shouts and laughter of children and adults alike. The authentic and restored wooden carousel spins and its menagerie of delicately carved animals bob rhythmically amongst the kaleidoscope of sounds. The magical dance that unfolds brightens the youthful spirit and imagination within all of us.
In 1917, Dutch woodcarver and carousel maker Charles I.D. Looff designed, built, and delivered a carousel to the Great Saltair Park outside of Salt Lake City, Utah. Over its 42 years of operation there, the carousel survived devastating fires and wind storms.
By 1959 the park went bankrupt and the carousel was donated to the Utah State Training School (now known as the Utah State Developmental Center), an intermediate care facility for the mentally and physically disabled. The Looff carousel was enjoyed by the school’s residents for 27 years, and was maintained and restored by them in 1976.
The carousel was sold in 1986 to a buyer who only wanted the wood carved animals, leaving just an empty frame. That’s when Nederland resident Scott Harrison acquired it and carefully disassembled it and hauled it back to Colorado.
When Harrison was a Marine in the Vietnam War, he survived his horrific surroundings with the aid of a tiny music box and his own imagination. The sounds of composer Frederic Chopin’s “Tristesse” would drown out the grim reality around him, and Harrison would transport himself to a peaceful mountain meadow, where he envisioned an old spinning carousel.
After rescuing the empty frame of the Looff carousel, Harrison immediately began hand-carving wooden animals to help bring the carousel back to life. Harrison still carves to this day, and has created more than 50 unique animals for his vision, each with a story and a deeper meaning to their creator. Once the Carousel of Happiness (COH) was completely restored Harrison created a non-profit organization and, with help from the Nederland community, raised the $700,000 needed to build the carousel its permanent home on 20 Lakeview Drive.
Director of the COH Melody Baumhover spoke to The Mountain- Ear about what she loved about her job. “Hearing all the laughter and all the kids screaming every day, people are just so happy to be here and that’s what makes it so special and so amazing and worthwhile for me.”
Baumhover began her position with the COH in September, 2021, but has had an emotional connection with the magical place since it opened.
“It’s such a cool place and I’ve been riding it since 2010. My son was not even born yet and I was pregnant the first time I rode it. My son was a month old the first time he rode it, and we would walk down here every day, go to the grocery store and to Chipeta park, and then hit the carousel on our way back home.”
The COH officially opened on Memorial Day weekend in 2010, and has since provided immeasurable joy and wonderment to residents as well as visitors from near and far. As the Wurlitzer band organ and Looff carousel have been piping and spinning for over 100 years now, the COH is about to celebrate its twelfth year in operation here in Nederland, as well as nearing its one millionth ride.
Baumhover and the COH are currently preparing for their Annual Memorial Day Event which will be at 20 Lakeview Drive from noon to 1 p.m.
“We’ll have a musician play taps (Brad Goode). Scott and other visitors will say something about somebody that they know who has passed away,” Baumhover said. “The carousel will spin silently once or twice in memoriam; we like to pretend that everybody who has passed away is riding the carousel at that moment, and we can wave and say hi to them.” Baumhover detailed how the Annual Memorial Day Event is more than an anniversary, but a meaningful ceremony that is true to the heart of the COH.
“As the Carousel of Happiness we were created based on so much tragedy. Scott never would’ve carved this if he didn’t have all that tragedy in Vietnam. So it’s molding those two things together in a way that everybody can appreciate, no matter what your spirituality is, no matter what your religion is, just welcoming for all,” Baumhover said, holding back tears as she discussed how the COH intricately interweaves deep, emotional and spiritual worlds with the openness of childlike innocence.
“After Scott was done carving the carousel he worked on the Somewhere Else wall. The idea is that everybody goes somewhere else when they pass away, and it’s a space where we can recognize that difference; that they’re not gone, they’re still here, they’re just somewhere else,” Baumhover described. “So you have all the animals peeking back and forth into the wall. The Tiger has a little white tail that comes out and the idea is that we’re always kind of intermingling with the spirit world and it’s ever-present with us here.”
Harrison’s designs and the stories he crafts within them embody the imagination’s ability to help us cope and understand the traumas in our life. Delicate mirrors hang on the walls around the carousel; angels atop the mirrors represent those we’ve lost, over us and reflecting the carousel and the smiles it creates.
Harrison’s work is ongoing, as well, as he continues on his life’s mission by working on finding a home for his creation of the Council of Kindness. The peaceful council of animals are meant to be arranged in a circle, with a ring of 111 birds swirling above them, and are designed to reside in a quiet space, meant for contemplation and reflection.
But the Council of Kindness is just one of the several projects that the COH has planned for the future. Baumhover has spent her short time as director organizing with film crews, from local filmmakers making a fantasy/horror film to travel company Atlas Obscura wishing to film a featurette about the carousel. She’s also working to bring back the volunteer program, expanding COH’s services to include “story time” events and puppet shows, and is organizing the Animals After Dark Annual Fundraising Gala.
“We have a great local musician from Boulder (Laurie Dameron) and we have Decent Bagel who will be catering an Italian themed dinner,” Baumhover said of the event, which will be a 1920’s themed gala at 20 Lakeview Drive on Saturday, June 11, 2022, starting at 6:30 p.m.
“We‘ll also have a silent auction; we’ve got some great things like a couple of nights stay in Breckenridge and a week in Mexico,” Baumhover said. The funds raised from the gala will go to important maintenance work to keep the COH operational. Baumhover noted that it isn’t required to dress up for the 1920’s themed gala, though she hopes to see people having fun in costume.
Harrison’s vision for COH continues to bring thousands of smiles to the faces of those who visit, and Baumhover is sure to mention that this mission, which was brought to life by Harrison, is continued through the valiant efforts of their staff and community volunteers.
“This is something they want to do. They want to come operate the carousel because they like being with people and seeing the smiles; they like telling the story of Scott and everything,” Baumhover said. “It’s definitely a unique dynamic to have in a workplace. They really care about this place and about the mission and about Scott.”
The Annual Memorial Day Event will be at the carousel on May 30, from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m.
The Animals After Dark Annual Fundraising Gala will be at the carousel on June 11, 2022, starting at 6:30 p.m. Tickets for the event are $75 and can be purchased at the carousel or online at https://www.carouselofhappiness.org.
The Carousel of Happiness is located in the Caribou Village Shopping Center on 20 Lakeview Drive and will be open Monday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Memorial through Labor Day.
For more information call 303- 258-3457 or go to: https://www.carouselofhappiness.org, or go to their Facebook page: https://m. facebook.com/CarouselofHappiness/ or Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carouselofhappiness/.
Sponsored by the Town of Nederland, with funds from the American Rescue Plan Act.
