Community Corner

A Piece of Muskego's Past for $2.2 Million

Historic carousel that charmed thousands over the decades at Dandilion Park has traveled extensively since it left the city in the 1970s, but the restored ride is being marketed for sale in the area it came from.

Dan Horenberger worked at the House in the Rock back in the 1970s, around the same time that Dandilion Park was seeing its demise. He maintained the site's iconic carousel there, and eventually put his interest into restoration of the machines that are as much art pieces as they are amusements.

Ironic then that Horenberger is now helping the seller of the 1905 Philadelphia Toboggan Company (PTC) model that stood on the grounds in Muskego to return it to the same area.

"If we can't find a home for it in Muskego, we are also looking to see if Bay Beach (in Green Bay) would be interested in adding to their park, as they don't presently have a carousel," he said.

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While it would be wonderful to see it return to the city, the Historical Society has said the $2.2 million price is not in their budget.

The cost reflects the amount of restoration work that went into the machine - about $1 million - and the rarity of the piece.

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"The carousel is only one of 30 still existing today," Horenberger said. "PTC made 85 of these models, and this one is marked #15. It's also unusual in its size," he explained. The four-aisle set up makes the carousel one of the largest of its kind, and the individual horses and animals are also much larger than most.

Professionally restored, it has been operating in West Nyack, NY inside a mall for many years, and made the trek to California, where Horenberger's company and publication, Carousel News is located. He is planning on a trip to the Chicago area and said he would be willing to meet with any buyers in the area because it's where the carousel spent most of its time entertaining riders.

"Our hope is not just to restore these machines, but to return them to the area they came from," he said, adding that while public use would be ideal, buyers are generally "very wealthy people who put them in their homes." 


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