A Custom Carousel; For and By the Children of Boston

The Rose Kennedy Greenway Conservancy is proud to announce that the seasonal carousel on the Greenway – which has proven to be a very popular addition to the Parks – may be the precursor to a new, one-of-a-kind Greenway Carousel thanks to a gift to support the planning and design of this potential addition to the parks. An initial amount of $225,000 in seed money from The Boston Foundation has been committed by an anonymous donor, with the expectation that the total gift will be $1 million, when the process of fully developing the idea is completed by the Conservancy.

Many details about this custom-designed carousel will be determined in the course of a 2-3 month process, which will  include input from neighbors and community groups, including one or more fun “children’s charrettes” (brainstorming sessions) in which young people will have the chance to weigh in with their ideas about the design and decoration of the carousel.  The seasonal carousel has been enjoyed by some 90,000 children each year.

The new carousel may incorporate weather protection systems, allowing the Conservancy to extend the carousel’s operating season, and also include a place for parents to watch and wait while being protected from the sun.  The custom carousel would reflect the rich environs of the Greenway, a ribbon of contemporary urban parks connecting the land, sea, and City.

To learn more, join us today at the Greenway Leadership Council meeting from 4-6 PM in the Conference Room at 185 Kneeland Street, Boston MA 02111. The public is invited to attend.

– Read today’s Boston Globe article, A gleeful gallop (9/15/10).

– Hear what the kids have to say in a Globe video filmed at the current Greenway Carousel.