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Smithsonian Carousel Reopens After 3-Year Restoration, Honoring Civil Rights History
Culture
4/24/2026AI summary

Smithsonian Carousel Reopens After 3-Year Restoration, Honoring Civil Rights History

The Smithsonian Institution's historic carousel reopened Friday on the National Mall after nearly three years of restoration. The carousel, originally from Gwynn Oak Amusement Park outside Baltimore, holds special significance as it was desegregated on Aug. 28, 1963 — the same day Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. gave his 'I Have A Dream' speech. Sharon Langley, who was the first Black child to ride that day as an infant, rode again at the reopening on a horse called Freedom Rider.

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NPR News
Smithsonian Carousel Reopens With Ties to Civil Rights History
NEWS
4/24/2026AI summary

Smithsonian Carousel Reopens With Ties to Civil Rights History

The Smithsonian carousel reopened Friday after nearly three years of restoration, featuring rides originally from Gwynn Oak Amusement Park outside Baltimore. The carousel holds special significance as it was desegregated on August 28, 1963 — the same day Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. gave his 'I Have A Dream' speech. Sharon Langley, who was just 11 months old when she became the first Black child to ride the carousel that day, returned this week to ride a horse named Freedom Rider. The ribbon-cutting honored African American adults from Baltimore who were among the first to desegregate the carousel in the 1960s.

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NPR News