WATCH: Final farewells before famed St. Augustine carousel dismantled Beloved landmark will close on Sunday following operator's death
ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. – For 25 years, the iconic carousel in St. Augustine's Davenport Park has delighted parents and children with a fun way to make memories for only $1.
On Sunday, the landmark will close. It comes after the city manager learned of the carousel operator's death. His widow has decided to dismantle the carousel.
RELATED: St. Augustine's 'iconic' carousel to be dismantled
In the video above, News4Jax caught up with some of the riders who Thursday said their final farewells to the carousel.
Jim Soules, the owner of the charming 1927 carousel, passed away a week ago. His wife, Peggy, said she wants to follow through on her husband's wish to bring the carousel to their home in Port Charlotte.
On Thursday, the city of St. Augustine thanked the Soules family for sharing the carousel and bringing joy, happiness and memories to the Ancient City.
Copyright 2019 by WJXT News4Jax - All rights reserved.
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Ciara joined the News4JAX team in 2018 and now works as the Special Projects Producer where she specializes in issues surrounding Social Justice. Ciara’s passion for creating meaningful stories for her hometown of Jacksonville has earned her multiple awards.
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