Mountain Park shut its gates forever in 1987.
 All of the rides were sold—except for the merry-go-round.
 John J. Collins, Jr., the park's owner, had offers of up to $1 million for the ride from as far away as China.
 But Collins was approached by John Hickey, the head of the Holyoke Water Power Company.
 He wanted to save the merry-go-round for the city.
 Collins set a price of $850,000 and gave Hickey a year to raise the money.

Hickey enlisted the help of Angela and Joe Wright, who had done a lot of charitable work in Holyoke.
 They organized a "last ride" day at the park.
 Over three thousand people came up to the mountain and paid a dollar each to ride the merry-go-round for the last time at its original home.
 The community came together in an unprecedented display of generosity.
School children in Holyoke raised $32,000 in two weeks from selling cookies and candy door-to-door.
 Local performers put on a benefit concert.
People all across the country began sending in donations.
 And local businesses contributed as well.
 Hickey met Collins' deadline and purchased the ride.

James Curran, a local contractor, dismantled the ride and placed it in storage until a new building could be constructed.
 While in storage, a crew of volunteers re-painted the entire ride.
 Hickey brought each of the horses into his house and personally repainted them.
 Meanwhile, local architect Timothy Murphy was designing the ride's new home.
The plan at first was to save the original pavilion.
 But that option was much too costly.
 Instead, Murphy designed a bigger building that replicated the look of the original.

In 1993, the building was constructed at Holyoke Heritage State Park.
 The ride had its inaugural run on December 7, 1993 with a party for Holyoke Hospital.
Plaques were placed under each horse to commemorate donors.
 The armored lead horse was dedicated to the schoolchildren of Holyoke.
 The merry-go-round officially opened to the public on December 11, 1993.
 During its first year, it gave over 70,000 rides.
 It continues to thrill children and adults alike and has become a beacon for successful community preservation efforts.
Mountain Park shut its gates forever in 1987.  All of the rides were sold—except for the merry-go-round.  John J. Collins, Jr., the park's owner, had offers of up to $1 million for the ride from as far away as China.  But Collins was approached by John Hickey, the head of the Holyoke Water Power Company.  He wanted to save the merry-go-round for the city.  Collins set a price of $850,000 and gave Hickey a year to raise the money.
Hickey enlisted the help of Angela and Joe Wright, who had done a lot of charitable work in Holyoke.  They organized a "last ride" day at the park.  Over three thousand people came up to the mountain and paid a dollar each to ride the merry-go-round for the last time at its original home.  The community came together in an unprecedented display of generosity. School children in Holyoke raised $32,000 in two weeks from selling cookies and candy door-to-door.  Local performers put on a benefit concert. People all across the country began sending in donations.  And local businesses contributed as well.  Hickey met Collins' deadline and purchased the ride.
James Curran, a local contractor, dismantled the ride and placed it in storage until a new building could be constructed.  While in storage, a crew of volunteers re-painted the entire ride.  Hickey brought each of the horses into his house and personally repainted them.  Meanwhile, local architect Timothy Murphy was designing the ride's new home. The plan at first was to save the original pavilion.  But that option was much too costly.  Instead, Murphy designed a bigger building that replicated the look of the original.
In 1993, the building was constructed at Holyoke Heritage State Park.  The ride had its inaugural run on December 7, 1993 with a party for Holyoke Hospital. Plaques were placed under each horse to commemorate donors.  The armored lead horse was dedicated to the schoolchildren of Holyoke.  The merry-go-round officially opened to the public on December 11, 1993.  During its first year, it gave over 70,000 rides.  It continues to thrill children and adults alike and has become a beacon for successful community preservation efforts.
Holyoke Merry-Go-Round