PHOTOS: Children's Museum Carousel through the years The carousel's official name is the Broad Ripple Park Carousel. Built in 1917, it used to be part of a theme park next to the White River.Photo by: Courtesy Children's Museum of Indianapolis PHOTOS: Children's Museum Carousel through the years It was created by the Gustav A. Dentzel carousel company in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Photo by: Courtesy Children's Museum of Indianapolis PHOTOS: Children's Museum Carousel through the years It ran in Broad Ripple until 1956, when the roof collapsed. It stopped working, and was dismantled and stored away.Photo by: Courtesy Children's Museum of Indianapolis PHOTOS: Children's Museum Carousel through the years A few years later, Mildred Compton, the director of the Children's Museum, contacted the city to see what happened to the carousel.Photo by: Courtesy Children's Museum of Indianapolis PHOTOS: Children's Museum Carousel through the years It took some work, but Compton was able to get the animals from the park department in 1969. They were restored by a team in Cincinnati.Photo by: Courtesy Children's Museum of Indianapolis PHOTOS: Children's Museum Carousel through the years The carousel was put in the Children's Museum, which was under construction at the time.Photo by: Courtesy Children's Museum of Indianapolis PHOTOS: Children's Museum Carousel through the years A girder from the museum's top floor had to be removed in order to make room for the carousel. Photo by: Courtesy Children's Museum of Indianapolis PHOTOS: Children's Museum Carousel through the years On July 25, the carousel celebrated its 100th birthday.Photo by: Courtesy Children's Museum of Indianapolis PHOTOS: Children's Museum Carousel through the years There are 42 animals on the carousel, including horses, giraffes, goats and one lion. All the animals are from the original Broad Ripple Park Carousel, except one horse.Photo by: Courtesy Children's Museum of Indianapolis PHOTOS: Children's Museum Carousel through the years The carousel is one of about 45 Indiana places recognized as a National Historic Landmark, with company such as the Athenaeum, Hinkle Fieldhouse and Indianapolis Motor Speedway.Photo by: Courtesy Children's Museum of Indianapolis PHOTOS: Children's Museum Carousel through the years Thousands of people have ridden the carousel over the years. In the photo, Jane Pauley and David Letterman take a ride. Photo by: Courtesy Children's Museum of Indianapolis PHOTOS: Children's Museum Carousel through the years First Lady Betty Ford took a spin in 1976. The Secret Service requested she ride a more stable animal, due to her bad back at the time (Something she was bitter about, the museum says).Photo by: Courtesy Children's Museum of Indianapolis PHOTOS: Children's Museum Carousel through the years Photo by: Courtesy Children's Museum of Indianapolis PHOTOS: Children's Museum Carousel through the years Photo by: Courtesy Children's Museum of Indianapolis PHOTOS: Children's Museum Carousel through the years Photo by: Courtesy Children's Museum of Indianapolis