Spokaneinescapable northwest beauty

Though Charles Looff has been dubbed a master craftsman for his hand-carved carousels and amusement park rides, the whimsy and intricacy with which his creations are designed seem more like a child’s wildest dream come true. Originally fashioned as a wedding present for his daughter Emma, the carousel began running in Natatorium Park—an amusement park on the bank of the Spokane River—in 1909. Put in storage once “The Nat” closed in 1967 and then dusted off for the opening of Riverfront Park in 1975, the treasured Looff Carousel has been an integral part of the park—and Spokane’s history—ever since. A National Historic Landmark, the carousel showcases 54 horses with 1,056 jewels, 333 mirrors and more than 300 pipes in the band organ.