White Elephant’s iconic elephant will reunite with long lost animal friends at Looff Carrousel

The owners of the White Elephant may be closing the curtains on their family business, but the show will go on for their iconic elephant ride.

After the Division Street location of the White Elephant closes permanently on Sunday, its mascot will travel to a new home at Riverfront Park’s Looff Carrousel building, according to a Wednesday news release from Spokane Parks and Recreation.

The two attractions are reuniting after decades apart. Looff Carrousel and the elephant ride, named Isidore, were both originally fixtures of Natatorium Park, Spokane’s amusement park attraction founded at the turn of the 20th century.

Gerry Sperling, Park Board member and stepdaughter of former Natatorium Park owner Lloyd Vogel, said she remembers riding on the white elephants as a little girl.

“These are icons of our city and its history,” Sperling said.

In early June, the stores’ owners Pat, Mary and Rich Conley announced they’d be closing their well-loved stores, ending a 74-year run. But they wanted to find a way to keep their elephant ride accessible as a thank you to the community. In a note included with Wednesday’s news release, they wrote that the elephant’s new location is a “whimsical nod” to the stores’ history.

“In 1946, our founder and patriarch, John R. Conley Sr. simply wanted to earn an honest living and raise a family,” the family wrote. “Upon announcing our closure, reading and hearing the stories, the memories, and the expressions of support and heartfelt emotion has been inspiring and humbling.”

In early June, the same week the owners announced that the White Elephant would close, about 300 people lined up outside the White Elephant store on Division Street despite a chilly breeze and a near-constant drizzle to shop during the going out of business sales.

“Everyone’s been very understanding,” Rich Conley said that day. “We’ve just been overwhelmed today. I had no idea we had this kind of support.”

To honor that support, the family wanted to give something to the community. They wrote that placing the ride in Riverfront Park ensures it will be, cared for, protected and readily available to the community.

In keeping with that sentiment, the elephant will remain 10 cents to ride forever, as part of the gift agreement. It can stay inside near the carousel or roll just outside the building for visitors to enjoy in warmer weather, the release said.

Parks and Recreation will announce when the elephant has made the move and is open again to the public, according to the release.

“We offer our elephant to Riverfront Park to honor our past, seek hope in our future, and express our profound gratitude for the years of patronage, service, and friendship that afforded us a blessed life in this beautiful community,” the family wrote. “God love ya (sic) Spokane.”