Carousel Mountain

In 1963, Norm Archer opened the Carousel Mountain Downhill ski resort with business partner Donald Martin.

Archer envisioned a resort open 7 days a week, with nearby lodging, a Winter Carnival festival in February, ski activities, and onsite fine dining [Sligh 1].

Photo of Norm Archer courtesy of the Joint Archives of Holland at Hope College.

An undated newspaper article from the vertical files shows the location of the new 50-acre resort between Macatawa and Castle Park in Laketown Township.

The Holland Chamber of Commerce initially voiced a concern about having enough winter-ready cabins and apartments to house the expected influx of vacationers.

"Right now it's anyone's guess how many we can lure out of Chicago, which has long looked upon the Saugatuck-Holland area as a favorite vacation spot. But we expect to also draw heavily from other places in Michigan and Indiana, and we could have as many as 2,500 skiers—the slopes' capacity—here all at one time."

—a clipping from an undated newspaper article in Herrick's vertical files.

A photo from the vertical files shows the construction of the resort's charlift.

"The lodge was made of white painted cinder blocks and wood from twelve old barns. Floor-to-ceiling windows offered dramatic views of the slopes. Bright red carpeting, red-and-blue stained glass accent and red ceiling beams accented the rustic barn wood. The lodge featured a dramatic reverse canted roof."

—Rob Sligh, "The Dream and Reality of Carousel Mountain"

See if you'd have liked to go with your friends or family to Carousel Mountain! Explore the brochure by scrolling through the panels and zooming in or out.

For Carousel Mountain's second season, an antique oak water wheel was installed in the creek next to a barn that was built to house a cider press. Carousel made and sold cider produced from local apples, serving it with donuts.

Other improvements, such as widening the slopes and removing trees, aimed to make the 1964-65 season more successful than the first [Sligh 4].

Photo from the vertical files.

Skiiers could take classes to improve their technique, particpate in races, enjoy women's weekends, or become a member of the volunteer ski patrol [Sligh 4].

Photo from Joint Archives Quarterly, Volume 24:04; Winter 2015 [copy in the vertical files].

By 1965 Carousel Mountain was in a precarious financial situation. In September 1966, the circuit court ordered mortgage foreclosure and appointed a receiver to protect the resort's property that had been seized for tax backpayment. The creditors then decided to re-open the resort to preserve the value of their loans. In October 1966, United Insurance Company of America took over Carousel Mountain and Larry Phillips became the general manager for the 1967-68 season [Sligh 5].

Newspaper clipping found in vertical files.

In 1968, Norbert C. Smith, president of both Lennor Engineering Co. and Dimpco in Chicago, bought Carousel Mountain.

The resort remained open for four more years until it closed for good in 1973 [Sligh 6], having operated for a total of 10 years.

The opposition of the Laketown Township board to the sale of alocholic beverages had always proved a sticky point between them and Carousel Mountain management, as it impeded the resort's ability to provide a competitive fine dining establishment.

Sligh includes this as cause for Carousel Mountain's closure, but also cites the lack of reliable snowfall and freezing temperatures as a contributor [6].

Photo from Carousel Mountain: Holland Professional Club, December 12, 2013 by Rob Sligh

All information and documents displayed in this gallery can be found in Herrick's genealogy and local history section. Read Rob Sligh's full account of the resort's history at 977.4145 HOLLAND_CITY SLIGH and find the documents in our vertical files under "Resorts." All items in the local history collection are in-library use only.

You can also view the full PDF of Rob Sligh's Joint Archives Quarterly article from Winter 2015 here.

We hope you enjoyed the gallery.