It's one of the cool attractions of Riverfront Park in Spokane, and is more of a playground fixture than anything. Under the wagon are climbing bars. Its handle is a slide and there's a ladder at the rear for climbing up into the wagon, so one may slide down, then climb back up and slide down, then climb.
Created by artist
Ken Spiering, it is entitled “
The Childhood Express”. An artist of eclectic output, Spiering has produced illustrations, watercolor and oil painting, woodblock prints and etchings, carved wood, cast bronze, concrete and steel sculptures, and copper enamels. I'm betting that this is the only 27 foot long red wagon he has yet produced.
A plaque on the Red Wagon reads:
"
This sculpture is dedicated to Spokane’s children, as a reflection of the past, created in the present, to last into the future."
FACTS ABOUT THE RED WAGON
• Created for the Centennial Celebration of Children - 1989
• Dimensions - 12’ high x 12’ wide x 27’ long.
• Weight - 26 tons.
• Made of steel and reinforced concrete.
• Will hold as many as 300 people supporting 100 lbs. per square foot.
• 43” high edges with the rounded pinch points removed.
• Curbing ranges from 6’ to 10’ away from the sculpture itself.