Carousel House was a facility in Fairmount Park, Philadelphia, which provided a recreation center for people with disabilities from the city.
It was the only of its kind in the whole of the USA, and was closed following the Covid-19 pandemic, with city officials stating that the building was unsafe.
The center ran from 1987 until closure in 2021, serving many thousands of disabled people, including hosting wheelchair basketball tournaments.
What does the future hold? REBUILD!
A project to rebuild a new center on the site took place in the fall of 2021, and thankfully there will be a new center built on the same site, serving the same community in the future.
The city council is holding design meetings on a new center to be built on the same site, during March 2022.
Carousel House is a Philadelphia Parks & Recreation facility for people with intellectual and physic.
The mission of Carousel House is to provide a place where people with intellectual and physical disabilities can come together in an environment that is physically safe, socially nurturing, and intellectually stimulating. The facility features a variety of recreational activities, including a full-sized carousel, that are designed to meet the needs of people with intellectual and physical disabilities. Carousel House is open to the public and offers a variety of membership options.
The Belmont Carousel House, located at Belmont Avenue and Avenue of the Republic, is dedicated to giving people with disabilities in the Philadelphia region socialization, recreational, and educational opportunities. It is the first of its kind in America created by a municipality.
The year-round program takes place in a 6.4-acre indoor and outdoor facility, which includes a picnic area, an accessible garden, playground, and fitness track. An air-conditioned contemporary indoor space with an auditorium, meeting room, computer lab, gymnasium, exercise room with wheelchair accessible weight equipment, arts and crafts room, fully equipped kitchen, and outdoor patio.
The program offers a variety of activities such as cooking classes, dance and drama performances, fitness classes, computer training, and much more. There are also opportunities to go on field trips and participate in Special Olympics.
Carousel House is open to people of all ages with any type of disability. No prior experience is necessary to participate in any of the activities.
Address: 4300 Avenue of the Republic, Philadelphia, PA 19131, United States
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Got memories of Carousel House? Leave a comment, below.
Hello,
I have clients who are interested in attending some of your recreational activities and I would like to speak with someone to find out how we can make it happen.
Hello looking for another center to go for activities for disabled. thank you kathi jones
Hello,
My name is Pam Piscitelli and I am writing on behalf of the Philadelphia Autism Project to learn more about the summer programming offered at the Carousel House for 2022. PhillyAP is working on creating a listing of autism resources and community supports in the Philadelphia area. With the end of the school year and the start of summer, we have received many questions about resources related to camps and summer programming for autistic individuals and their families.
We would like to learn more about your camp and summer programming. Below are the questions we are looking to answer and share with the community.
• What is the cost of attending camp?
• Do you accept any grants or provide any scholarships for individuals with autism?
• What is the most up to date contact information for the program?
• Are staff trained to support autistic individuals?
• What ages are accepted for your camps and summer programming?
• Is there anything else that would be helpful for us to know about the camp?
Thank you,
Pam Piscitelli