Plans for the new Tennessee State Museum could include bringing back the whimsical Tennessee Fox Trot Carousel that opened in 1998.
From the day the carousel opened in Nashville, people from all walks of life enjoyed the attraction created by world-famous artist and Nashville native, Red Grooms.
"I think people in Nashville are gonna be blown away." Phil Breseden, then Nashville Mayor said in 2008 at the opening of the carousel. "They're gonna love this, and it's gonna become a permanent part of downtown."
But after six years on Broadway, the carousel moved behind closed doors.
The Tennessee State Museum took over the carousel in 2004, but the problem has been that the museum hasn't had anywhere to put the carousel.
Luckily, that may soon change.
This month ground was broken on the new Tennessee State Museum, which doesn't currently have plans to include the carousel in the first stage of building, but the hope is to bring back the Nashville icon once the first phase is completed.
"it was probably ahead of it's time comparative to what we see in downtown today, and would probably be thriving in the environment we have in downtown Nashville now." Mark Cate, project coordinator for the new museum, said.
Cate said not only is the carousel a fond memory to many, but it's also a history lesson to those who pay close attention.
"It's a piece of artwork." Cate explained. "The different elements of the carousel then identify characters, really important characters and really important events in Tennessee's history."
The new Tennessee State Museum is expected to be completed in 2018, but the museum still needs to raise $40 million of the $160 million needed for the museum. After those fundraising efforts have been met, the museum can focus on the carousel.
