The International Museum of Carousel Art is a museum in Hood River in the U.S. state of Oregon focused on carousels. The museum claims to be the largest such collection in the world.[1] It has 8,000 to 10,000 visitors per year.[2]
The museum was founded in 1983 as the Portland Carousel Museum after the founders, Duane and Carol Perron, helped restore a 1914 carousel in the late 1970s. It is a non profit organization.[3] The Hood River museum opened October 17, 1999 and attracted about three thousand visitors in its first year.[4]
The collection contains about 110 carved animals, an operational Wurlitzer band organ, chariots, and other artifacts. The exhibits feature European animals, major American carvers, armored horses, and the restoration process.[3] As of late 2010, the museum is closed for relocation from 304 Oak Street.[5]