Efteling removes Kindervreugd animal carousel for major maintenance
Efteling removed the Dierenmolen in Kindervreugd, foundation included, after the carousel and base were found to be in poor condition. The park says the nostalgic push carousel will return, but no date has been set.
More context
In December 2025, Efteling removed the Dierenmolen from Kindervreugd, including its foundation. That detail made the work stand out: another classic carousel, the Paardenmolen, was also taken away, but its foundation remained in place. For fans, the missing base immediately raised the question of whether this small push carousel had disappeared for good.
The park says that is not the plan. Both the Dierenmolen and its foundation were found to be in poor condition, making major maintenance necessary. An Efteling spokesperson confirmed that the carousel is intended to return, although no completion date has been given. For visitors, the playground is temporarily missing one of its most nostalgic play pieces, especially for young children who use Kindervreugd as a quieter, hands-on corner of Marerijk.
The story matters because this is more than a simple playground repair. The current Dierenmolen was assembled in 2007 from older Efteling parts: the base of a Paardenmolen and four animal figures from an earlier, larger Dierenmolen designed by Anton Pieck, which stood elsewhere in the park until 2003. Its removal shows how fragile small heritage objects can be, while also underlining the park's intention to preserve Kindervreugd's old-fashioned character.