Join us for the opening celebration
during ¡Que Viva!
The exhibition will be open June 7 11am to 3 pm and June 8 10am to 2pm

The story of El Tío Vivo is stitched together from memory, music, and motion. For more than a century, this carousel has spun through northern New Mexico’s landscapes and imaginations. Its origins are uncertain—said to have been powered by donkeys, lost somewhere between barns, corrals, and carnival routes. What is remembered is passed from voice to voice, changing slightly with each telling.

Some say El Tío Vivo is one of the oldest operating carousels in the country. Maybe it is. Maybe it isn’t. The truth, like the ride, spins in circles. What’s certain is this: for nearly a century, this carousel has carried not just passengers, but the weight of tradition, creativity, and care. It is, as Tom VanSant called it, “a timeless treasure.” Not because of its age—but because it keeps going.

Through it all, El Tío Vivo kept its charm. The painted horses. The canvas canopy. The tilting spin. Over the years, its crank was turned by neighbors, its riders lifted into motion by friends and family. Now it belongs to Taos, not just as an object, but as a shared memory passed between generations—between those who rode, those who powered it, and those who simply stood and watched.

Some of those figures remain unnamed—volunteers, caretakers, artists, and storytellers whose presence lives on in recollection rather than in records. They don’t appear in ledgers or contracts, but their presence in community memory speaks to something larger: the way histories are built not just from documents, but from stories passed between generations. Like the carousel itself, these stories turn in circles—repeating, shifting, and occasionally reappearing with new clarity. It’s here, in the interplay between memory and myth, that El Tío Vivo’s deeper meaning begins to take shape.

Certain dates remain grounded: rediscovered in 1937, restored by hand and paintbrush, and brought to back to life at the Taos Fiestas in 1939. Since then, artists have returned to it again and again, repainting its horses, drawing inspiration, and renewing its presence. Tío Vivo endures not only as an object but as an evolving folk narrative—less about what can be proven, more about what continues to be believed. This exhibition is not a definitive account—it is a constellation of recollections, artifacts, and responses. A celebration of the way history spins.

Opening celebration during ¡Que Viva! community event, June 7 11 a.m. - 3 p.m.