History in Motion:
The Jantzen Beach SuperCenter Carousel was designed and built in 1921 at the C.W. Parker Amusement Company in Leavenworth, Kansas. It was one of the only four "superior style" machines Parker built. This large, four abreast machine was constructed as a "park model" rather than the more commonly manufactured portable machines built for the traveling carnivals. The horses are some of the most elaborate ever carved by the Parker Company and many are unique, one of a kind animals.

This 72-horse Carousel operated at the Venice Beach, California Pier from 1921 until 1927. It survived a major fire and was put into storage until 1928 when it was then shipped to Jantzen Beach Amusement Park, were it operated for over 80 years.

The park was razed in 1970 to accommodate building the Jantzen Beach Shopping Center. At that time it was refurbished and rebuilt for its debut in the Center, which opened in September 1972. After operating for 22 years inside the shopping center, the Carousel underwent a thorough $500,000 restoration in 1995 and was relocated to become the "center piece" of the new Jantzen Beach SuperCenter.

Did you know Hayden Island was once a 112-Acre Amusement Park?
The Jantzen Knitting Mills invested in the Hayden Island Amusement Company to build the Jantzen Beach Amusement Park, as part of a large advertising campaign to promote Jantzen swimming suits! The door opened to the public on May 26, 1928. It surpassed all attendance expectations. Over 30 million people patronized the park through its 80+ years duration.

With public interest changing to the age of television and movies, attendance began to drop in 1959. Highway expansion, unfavorable weather, competition from the new EXPO Center, a fatality on the Big Dipper, and a destructive fire and flood caused the demise of the Jantzen Beach Amusement Park. People no longer patronized the park in numbers that once gave it life.

However, the value of the land, excellent demographics, and the unique history gave way to America's newest past time pleasure - shopping. The park forever closed its' door to the public on Labor Day 1970. Opening on September 28, 1972, Jantzen Beach Center was promoted as "The Mall That Has It All."

The 1921 CW Parker Carousel is all that remains from those "Golden Days."