Apr 21, 2025 - Business
Scoop: Audubon Zoo slashes price for iconic carousel
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Audubon Nature Institute has deeply discounted the exotic species carousel after the attraction failed to sell at auction, a spokesperson tells Axios.
Why it matters: A beloved piece of New Orleans nostalgia might be in your price range.
The big picture: The starting bid for the carousel is $25,000 on GovDeals.com, down from $225,000.
- The auction closes Wednesday.
- The listing includes 60 animals and two chariots packed in shipping containers. The new owner is responsible for moving everything.
- The carousel needs extensive repairs before it will be safe to operate, according to an inspection report shared by Audubon.
Catch up quick: Hurricane Ida damaged the carousel in 2021, and the "cost was astronomical to fix it and put it back where it was," Audubon spokesperson Melissa Lee tells Axios.
- The zoo opted to sell the carousel and replace it with a smaller version, she said.
- The attraction, officially named the Gottesman Family Endangered Species Carousel, has alligators, flamingos, elephants, giraffes, frogs, lions and other animals to ride.
- It had been there since 2003.
Zoom in: The zoo is building an enclosure to house the new carousel.
- Work is expected to begin this year, Lee says.
