Last call for rides: The carousel at Johnson County’s Oak Park Mall is leaving
Oak Park Mall’s carousel rides will soon come to an end — for now, at least.
Leasing disagreements with the Overland Park mall have caused the carousel’s operator, Indoor Entertainment, to vacate its spot on the lower level.
The carousel is not owned by the mall, said Sean Phillips, Oak Park’s senior marketing director. Like any vendor, it rents its space.
The carousel’s last day is Oct. 15, says Kathryn Elliott, chief operating officer of Indoor Entertainment. Elliott said the mall asked them to move the carousel to a “less desirable location” within the mall, but the move would cost the company thousands of dollars.
Oak Park Mall, which opened in 1974, has had a carousel since at least the ’90s.
In 2000, the mall considered getting rid of its carousel altogether, much to the chagrin of its then-operator, who received notice that Oak Park would not be renewing its lease.
Elliott said her carousel was installed in a different spot in the mall around 2001. Phillips said it’s been in its current spot since 2008.
“Kansas has been very, very good to us,” Elliott said.
But the mall is hoping another carousel operator will sign a lease. Phillips said they’re in negotiations with another company.
“We don’t have an exact date yet …” Phillips said. “It should be soon.”
For now, Indoor Entertainment plans on moving its carousel south, either to Texas or Florida.
Carousel fans like Kevin and Becky Bukaty will miss its presence, however long it’ll be until the next one arrives. The brother and sister make monthly trips to the mall, mostly to entertain Becky, who has Down syndrome.
“She loves checking everything out,” Kevin said. “The merry-go-round is one of our regular stops.”
But another empty space sits next to the carousel. The mall removed its children’s play area this week because it needed repairs.
“We hope to announce more family amenities soon,” Phillips said.
This story was originally published October 5, 2023 at 3:31 PM.