An important piece of Lancaster County history has found a new home in Strasburg.

Following a special-exception hearing in September, Strasburg Township approved a project that will place the historic Rocky Springs carousel on the Choo Choo Barn property in Strasburg.

Built in 1899, the carousel was built by the celebrated Dentzel Carousel Company and found its way to Rocky Springs Park near Willow Street and Lampeter until it closed in 1982. Since its departure from Lancaster, the carousel has been all around the country.

Bringing it back to Lancaster County was a process that involved collaboration from the Choo Choo Barn, the Choo Choo Barn Foundation (CCBF) and the Rocky Springs Carousel Association (RSCA), as well as local government entities and organizations from outside the county. The RSCA has housed the carousel since 1999.

"Tracy is the president of the (RSCA)," said Gary Russell, owner of the Choo Choo Barn and president of the CCBF. "They were caregivers of the carousel until an appropriate place would be found."

Russell said that the RSCA wanted the carousel to be housed in a place that was nonprofit and heavily involved children. The Choo Choo Barn checked all of the boxes.

The carousel's remarkable collection includes 48 animals, two chariots, an original ring machine and a historic Wurlitzer band organ with more than 200 music rolls. Once enjoyed by Dolly Parton, Kenny Rogers and Burt Reynolds while the carousel was housed at Dollywood in Pigeon Forge, Tenn., the CCBF's goal is to restore the carousel back to its original condition.

The CCBF is preparing to build an enclosed building to house the carousel at the end of its property, near the intersection of Gap Road and Historic Drive. The plan is that anytime the Choo Choo Barn is open, the carousel building will be open.

"It's going to be there at the light, right at the end of our property," Russell said. "It's going to be beautiful. Everybody's going to be able to see it. ... We are looking to have a Rocky Springs museum there. We were getting a lot of things that were being donated, so we look to have a museum there, which showcases Rocky Springs as it was for Lancaster."

Russell has an ambitious plan to sell his first ticket within the next 24 months, which will require copious amounts of fundraising, planning, construction and restoration.

Around $3 million will be needed to fully complete the restoration.

"We are now in the design phase," Russell explained. "We are showing what we want to get, what it's going to look like and everything like that. We don't have anything to show for the design quite yet, but I'm hoping within the next 30 days or so I would be able to have something like that that we can release."

Parton passed away in August at the age of 80. Parton and her team were well aware of the efforts to restore the once-famous carousel.

"We did have her blessing," Russell said. "We definitely had her interest to be involved with this restoration and reopening of the carousel."

More information about the Choo Choo Barn can be found by visiting http://www.choochoobarn.com or emailing info@choochoobarn.com. The attraction is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day, excluding select holidays. It is located near the Strasburg Railroad and historic downtown Strasburg.

Russell is not the original owner of the Choo Choo Barn but founded the CCBF after getting involved a few years ago.

"The purpose was to reduce the screen time kids have," he said. "We replaced the screen time with a hobby, and a hobby for so many kids of all ages, including both males and females, is trains. It's a perfect match."