GREENSBORO, N.C. — FOX8 got an exclusive first look at the Greensboro Rotary Carousel in action on Wednesday.

“When I walked in here and saw all of this I started crying,” said Bernie Mann, the president of the Rotary Carousel LLC. “Fourteen years ago, three of us had a dream and the dream was: can we build something in Greensboro that Rotary members can be proud of?”

People will soon be able to hop on one of 56 handmade, wooden and carved animals, including some inspired by endangered species at the science center. All creatures were created thanks to the kindness of community donations.

“This will be here for 100 years,” Mann said.

The carousel also features parts that exude local pride, like a UNCG Spartan horse, and gives insight to our community’s history.

“The dream was to make this carousel totally Greensboro,” Mann said. “To have everything about it Greensboro. The history, the heroes, the people.”

Right now, people can not ride the carousel because inspections still need to be done. There are also 11 carved animals that need to arrive before the big opening day.

Mann says the carousel will be ready for kids and parents to ride in several weeks.

Virgil and Amy Nestorick, their son and children they nanny went to the Greensboro Science Center Wednesday. They peered into the building that houses the carousel.

“We are longing to take a ride on the new carousel,” Virgil Nestorick said.

Amy says they will be back when it opens. The kids can’t wait.

The CEO of the science center, Glenn Dobrogosz, says he expects at least 300,000 additional visitors because of this gift from the Rotary Club of Greensboro.

The $3 million gift not only includes the carousel, but also the indoor facility that can be heated in the winter and opened up when it is warm outside.

The project is one of many new exciting things happening over at the science center, including the zoo expansion.