Canberra’s historic Civic merry-go-round will close for a month from next week to undergo essential maintenance and restoration work.

The act government says it will be shut from April 21 to May 22, with works timed to avoid school holiday periods.

The program includes repairs and refurbishment aimed at extending the life of the 1914-built carousel while preserving its heritage features.

Works will involve removing and restoring horses, repairing bent poles and returning previously out-of-service horses. Specialist heritage painting will also be carried out on the horses and external structure.

The closure marks the second stage of a two-part project, following earlier works completed in November that identified the need for further repairs.

The full program will contribute to a longer-term maintenance plan for the landmark, which has operated in Civic since 1974.