Dark Rides
www.parkworld-online.com
Afraid of the dark?
Dark rides are not all rickety doors and ultraviolet paintings. With a little imagination it’s zombies dismembering blood-spurting victims and the real corpses of outlaws strung up and painted orange. A little gore is good for the soul. A hot-bed of classic dark rides and dark walk-throughs are found from Maryland to New York on the East Coast of the US, and a recent tour found that their fascination has not waned. From south to north, here’s what we found…
Haunted House
The Haunted House is a landmark on the Ocean City, Maryland, Boardwalk. Operated by Trimper’s Rides, a sign at the entrance reads, “A 5-minute dark ride thru thrilling scenes and optical illusions. The ride was designed by award-winning amusement artist Bill Tracy and constructed by Granville Trimper in 1964. The ride was expanded to 2 floors in 1988 and since then various new stunts have been added. In Spring 2012 we proudly began a full scale enhancement that will ensure thrills for generations to come. We are dying for you to see what’s new as well as revisit old nightmares. Your coffin awaits...” In fact, as many as 1,800 riders climb aboard one of Dracula’s coffin carriages each day during the
summer. Much of the appeal comes from the genius of artist Bill Tracy, who designed approximately 80 projects up and down the East Coast and across the country. Trimper’s Haunted House is one of the few that have survived fires and vandalism. Tracy specialized in dark and spooky rides, a pioneer in the industry. From the Haunted House’s Upside-Down Room, which uses bolted décor to give riders the sensation of traveling on the ceiling, to the dizzying Revolving Barrel effect that makes them feel like they are falling into space, Tracy was famous for his illusions. Many effects have been restored over the years and the Haunted House has many new additions, including a recent makeover of the Torture Chamber family.
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Continued overleaf AUGUST 2018
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