City of Akron still pondering future of old carousel from Chapel Hill Mall

Patrick Williams, Akron Beacon Journal
·2 min read
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Archie the talking snowman waits for visitors at Lock 3 Park on Dec. 11, 2020.
Archie the talking snowman waits for visitors at Lock 3 Park on Dec. 11, 2020.

As a child, Greg Brumbaugh made holiday visits to Chapel Hill Mall to see not just Santa Claus, but also a big-time Akron celebrity, Archie the Talking Snowman.

“I remember him scaring the crap out of me when I was a little kid — those red, glowing eyes,” said Brumbaugh, senior director of production at OnQ Solutions.

OnQ, a retail display manufacturer, is in the process of shifting its Akron-based operations into a leased section of the Chapel Hill Business Park that connects the mall's former JCPenney and a common indoor space right outside the department store.

Those who remember Archie from his mall days can rest easy knowing that the snowman — made over with new, color-alternating eyes, stretched to 28 feet tall and equipped with the latest "talking" technology — will return to Lock 3 this winter. It will mark his fifth consecutive winter there and his first after Phase I of the park's redevelopment is complete.

Talking snowman Archie Arctic greets young visitors at Chapel Hill Mall in December 1968, the year the 20-foot giant debuted.
Talking snowman Archie Arctic greets young visitors at Chapel Hill Mall in December 1968, the year the 20-foot giant debuted.

Another former Chapel Hill Mall fixture, the old mall carousel, was donated by the Chapel Hill Business Park’s owner, Industrial Commercial Properties (ICP), to the city of Akron in 2021. The Beacon Journal reported at the time that the city was planning to bring the carousel to Lock 3.

Whether the city will still plan for the carousel to open at Lock 3 remains to be seen, said Chris Griffith, city downtown operations manager. The carousel was not included in the first phase of Lock 3's redevelopment, and plans for the second phase have not been finalized.

Chris Griffith, downtown operations manager for city of Akron, is framed by one of the many Chapel Hill Mall carousel horses stored in the O'Neil's building that were part of a donation from Industrial Commercial Properties in 2021.
Chris Griffith, downtown operations manager for city of Akron, is framed by one of the many Chapel Hill Mall carousel horses stored in the O'Neil's building that were part of a donation from Industrial Commercial Properties in 2021.

The carousel features depictions of classic Akron scenes such as the Goodyear Blimp and Derby Downs.

“Everybody loves the carousel, and [the city] wanted to make sure that the carousel was here in Akron at the time when they took it,” Griffith said.

The carousel is seen in the mostly empty food court at the former Chapel Hill Mall in Akron on March 3, 2021.
The carousel is seen in the mostly empty food court at the former Chapel Hill Mall in Akron on March 3, 2021.

ICP Chief Operating Officer Chris Salata said of the 2021 carousel donation: "We thought that was important to keep that within the community.”

“It wasn't just your run-of-the-mill carousel,” Salata said. “It was specifically designed for Chapel Hill and for Akron."

The carousel that was made specifically for the Chapel Hill Mall is now in storage in the former O'Neil's building.
The carousel that was made specifically for the Chapel Hill Mall is now in storage in the former O'Neil's building.

The carousel and Archie, who also belongs to the city, are stored in the former O’Neil’s building next to Lock 3, Griffith said.

The city still plans to complete Phase I of Lock 3’s redevelopment by fall 2024, Griffith said, adding that total investment in the redevelopment amounts to $17.5 million.

Animals from the carousel that was once in Chapel Hill Mall, including horses and pandas, now sit in storage in the former O'Neil's building.
Animals from the carousel that was once in Chapel Hill Mall, including horses and pandas, now sit in storage in the former O'Neil's building.

Archie remains a popular topic of interest for area residents. Author Joanna Wilson even wrote a book about him.

“The following that that snowman has — people love him,” Griffith said. “People talk to him. We get calls about, ‘Hey, when’s he coming?’ ‘When's his hours?’ So, he is just an icon in the community. People do really love that snowman.”

Patrick Williams covers growth and development for the Akron Beacon Journal. He can be reached by email at pwilliams@gannett.com or on X, formerly known as Twitter, @pwilliamsOH.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Akron preserves Archie the Snowman, carousel from Chapel Hill Mall