Trimper's Haunted House
Encyclopedia
The Haunted House is a dark ride
and one of the flagship attractions at Trimper's Rides & Amusements
, in Ocean City
, MD
. Built by Bill Tracy in 1964, and expanded in 1988; it has resided on the southern end of Ocean City's boardwalk strip ever since.
The ride was a hit, and Granville added to his new dark ride when ever possible. During the 1988 season the ride was given a major overhaul, adding a second floor to accommodate gags and tricks from a ride called "Ghost Ship" at Playland Park, which had closed. The ship was a Tracy-built ride also, and the stunts fit in perfectly with the ones from 1964. The addition required an enlarged loading area (to make room for some extra cars) and added a balcony, which the cars would travel across during the trip.
In current years, the park has been sluggishly phasing out the Tracy tricks, which consist of wood, paper mache', and day-glow paint. This fragile building has led to numerous incidents, including being the target of vandalism
, and constant repairs. The park has been adding newer, modern dark ride stunts to replace the older ones.
The lobby
area where the cars are boarded is decked with antique chandelier
s, a number of scary portraits, and two animatronic barkers. The first of these is Count Wolf Von Vinderstine; a headless specter who gives a three minute looped spiel about what riders will see inside the attraction. The stunt, added in 1995, is run by both air and complex electronics by which the count's mouth and facial movements are synchronized with the looped spiel for a more realistic effect. The second barker is a gargoyle
. Hung right above the doors through which the cars enter the attraction's interior, the air-powered stunt gives a short dialog in which he dares the riders to enter.
The car enters a set of double doors (sometimes known as light barriers) and enters the first room. Two of Tracy's gags occupy the space; A large rat
perched on a tree stump; and a staircase covered with spiders whose bodies resemble skull
s. The rat lunges forward toward the car while the spiders spin back-and-forth on the stairs. The room is used frequently to house cars which have broken down. The entrance to the main workshop is also located in the room.
The car goes through a single set of doors and enters a crooked hallway. Bill Tracy's rides often included a crooked hallway or two. As the vessel moves forward into the room, it is tilted to an angle, giving the feeling of falling. This is achieved by placing a raised tire-track on one side of the car's path, while leaving the other side flat. The guide-rail hinge allows for the body of the vessel to tip to the side while safely maneuvering the uneven rade. This room also takes the vessel up a small incline, which is crucial in allowing the next gag the proper floor space. After coming through a set of doors at the end of the hallway, the vessel enters a spinning tunnel. At the end of the tunnel is a full scale replica of a coffin shaped vessel; just like the one the riders are in. This replica spins 360-degrees in sync with the tunnel; along with another crooked grade; giving the illusion
of being pulled into a swirling vortex.The cars are actually heading through an elevated bridge-like tunnel, with the barrel surrounding them. The barrel itself was installed by the Philadelphia Toboggan Company
.
The cars turn to the right, and head toward a stream of green lights upon the wall. Suddenly, a light turns on; revealing a bedroom turned upside down. A woman is situated on a bed stuck to the ceiling. The car creeps through this room, maneuvering another crooked grade. The car then picks up some ample speed, and heads down an incline past a variety of gags and non-animated characters, such as; a family of Trolls
; a hippopotamus
; a discarded dummy from the electric chair gag on the second floor, missing its hands and feet; a birthday party where a group of Evil Clowns pull a severed head
out of a birthday cake
; and a werewolf
figure. Nearing the end of the incline, the cars pass the Tracy gag known as the Old Mill. The gag involves a scantly-clad damsel chained to a piece of wood. When the gag is activated, the platform on which the wood rests is tilted; the wood slides forward, feeding the damsel into a spinning saw blade.
The cars maneuver a slight inclined turn, where they pass by the Knit-Witt, an original 1964 gag; a set of three wall-mounted busts; and a witch, who lunges toward the car. The car makes yet another rapid descent; this one leads through a graveyard
themed room. The cars pass through a number of hinged door-like graves, which are knocked aside as the vessel speeds downhill. Hanging above is a ghoul, while a demonic looking entity rises from behind a gravestone. The car finally begins an ascent upward. As the car climbs up the incline, a bat flies toward the car from overhead. After reaching the top of the incline and crashing through a set of doors, the car passes a coffin
; bathed in a bright red light. The car makes a sharp left turn and heads up a steeper incline. This one, which includes another crooked grade, is located inside another crooked hallway. Nearing the peak, one of the overhead beams cracks. The cars enter a set of doors and level out into darkness.
A light turns on revealing a set of barrels which fall toward the riders. The car then heads into a room where the tipping grade is the gag's main aspect. The room, which is known as the "Wave Room", is decked out with neon wave patterns across the walls. The grade pushes the car back-and-forth as though it were out at sea. Another set of doors leads to a room which is occupied by a Frankenstein
who lunges at the vessel, and a Vampire
lit by strobe lights. The car then heads out onto the ride's second story balcony
. This portion was a major addition in 1989's expansion. The cars leave the interior scenes and emerge into the light of day. The riders get a better view of Tracy's detailed facade; while passers-by and riders' family and friends can see them mid-ride. The bat which adorns the facade is another 1964 original. It's taken down during the winter and placed inside to avoid the grueling ocean weather, which helps insure its survival. The bat will getting a complete face-lift for the 2010 season.
Re-entering the interior through a set of double doors; (These doors in particular have become plagued with a rider tradition of placing used chewing gum
. They are usually covered in gum, giving them the nickname of "The Gum Doors") the cars enter the main location of the ghost ship additions. While the majority of these stunts are gone now, the backdrops and parts to the stunts are still strewn about. The cars pass by a mummy
, a group of skeletons and a moving coffin which makes loud crashing noises as it tips back and forth.
The next gag;Tracy's Torture Chamber
; involves a man being stretched on a device
by a torturer; a man hanging from the ankles suspended from the ceiling above a pit of hot coals
; and a chained female, whose animated breast
s heave in terror. A rat situated near her toes is from a former stunt which reside across the track at one point; this spot is now occupied by a Giant Skull
.
The car ventures into a room, where they first meet a toxic waste monster and a mermaid. Then, a corpse leaps from the darkness toward the car, screaming. The car then trips a switch, and a Distortions Unlimited Electric Chair
prop bursts to life. The animated figure
thrashes back-and-forth in the chair while letting out a terrible moan of pain, (in recent years, this moan has be able to be heard throughout the entire second level of the ride) while strobe lights accompany the scene. The prop was originally intended to run for Halloween purposes, and wasn't built to bear a constant state of use. The original motor was at a speed which caused the dummy to thrash so violently, its latex skin would tear. The motor was replaced, and until a recent 2009 replacement body, the prop had run with the same one since the new motor was installed.
The cars turn a corner and head into a train
tunnel. The vessel is shook back-and-forth as it maneuvers a set of train-track style planks on the ground, while a bright floodlight shines up ahead. The vessel then passes another Tracy oddity; "The Last Drop" as it was called by his company, involves a women's hands creeping out of a toilet
basin. The room is dirty, and the toilet leaks water all over the floor of the gag. The cars then turn to begin their descent to ground level. They creep slowly down a hall lined with neon slates. A Distortions Unlimited hanging man
kicks and struggles to get free. Nearing the end of this corridor, the car jerks left and meets another giant Tracy rat, and an elderly vampire. The car speeds down a set of smaller ramps; these lead to a neon Grandfather Clock
from which a deranged bird pops out.. The cars pass an Alien, and then round a bend toward the exit doors. The vessel hits a switch causing a waterfall to form over the track. The riders will look as though they are about to get wet, until the car hits another switch that shuts it off just in the knick of time. The car goes through a set of doors and re-enters the lobby. Riders disembark from their coffins and head around the backside of the lobby toward the boardwalk.
Dark ride
A dark ride or ghost train is an indoor amusement ride where riders in guided vehicles travel through specially lit scenes that typically contain animation, sound, music, and special effects....
and one of the flagship attractions at Trimper's Rides & Amusements
Amusement park
thumb|Cinderella Castle in [[Magic Kingdom]], [[Disney World]]Amusement and theme parks are terms for a group of entertainment attractions and rides and other events in a location for the enjoyment of large numbers of people...
, in Ocean City
Ocean City, Maryland
Ocean City, sometimes known as OC, or OCMD, is an Atlantic Ocean resort town in Worcester County, Maryland, United States. Ocean City is widely known in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States and is a frequent destination for vacationers in that area...
, MD
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
. Built by Bill Tracy in 1964, and expanded in 1988; it has resided on the southern end of Ocean City's boardwalk strip ever since.
History
In 1961, Granville Trimper was intrigued by a dark ride at Glen Echo park near Washington DC. He attended an amusement convention not long afterward, where he met Bill Tracy (at the time, the best dark ride builder in the industry) and discussed building a dark ride on the site of the former Windsor Theater. After numerous proposals, Granville settled for the one level "Haunted House" dark ride package. Construction began in 1963, and the ride was ready for the 1964 season.The ride was a hit, and Granville added to his new dark ride when ever possible. During the 1988 season the ride was given a major overhaul, adding a second floor to accommodate gags and tricks from a ride called "Ghost Ship" at Playland Park, which had closed. The ship was a Tracy-built ride also, and the stunts fit in perfectly with the ones from 1964. The addition required an enlarged loading area (to make room for some extra cars) and added a balcony, which the cars would travel across during the trip.
In current years, the park has been sluggishly phasing out the Tracy tricks, which consist of wood, paper mache', and day-glow paint. This fragile building has led to numerous incidents, including being the target of vandalism
Vandalism
Vandalism is the behaviour attributed originally to the Vandals, by the Romans, in respect of culture: ruthless destruction or spoiling of anything beautiful or venerable...
, and constant repairs. The park has been adding newer, modern dark ride stunts to replace the older ones.
Ride Experience
The ride begins after climbing into a wooden coffin shaped vessel. The Haunted House has a total of 11 cars; three of which came from the ghost ship. The cars are currently in a process of being refurbished over the off-season, in groups of three. They are hauled off to Trimper's warehouses where they are given a complete over-haul, with new wood paneling and parts.The lobby
Lobby
Lobby may refer to:* Lobby , an entranceway or foyer in a building* Lobbying, the action or the group used to influence a viewpoint to politicians* Lobby , a thick stew made in North Staffordshire, not unlike Lancashire Hotpot...
area where the cars are boarded is decked with antique chandelier
Chandelier
A chandelier is a branched decorative ceiling-mounted light fixture with two or more arms bearing lights. Chandeliers are often ornate, containing dozens of lamps and complex arrays of glass or crystal prisms to illuminate a room with refracted light...
s, a number of scary portraits, and two animatronic barkers. The first of these is Count Wolf Von Vinderstine; a headless specter who gives a three minute looped spiel about what riders will see inside the attraction. The stunt, added in 1995, is run by both air and complex electronics by which the count's mouth and facial movements are synchronized with the looped spiel for a more realistic effect. The second barker is a gargoyle
Gargoyle
In architecture, a gargoyle is a carved stone grotesque, usually made of granite, with a spout designed to convey water from a roof and away from the side of a building thereby preventing rainwater from running down masonry walls and eroding the mortar between...
. Hung right above the doors through which the cars enter the attraction's interior, the air-powered stunt gives a short dialog in which he dares the riders to enter.
The car enters a set of double doors (sometimes known as light barriers) and enters the first room. Two of Tracy's gags occupy the space; A large rat
Rat
Rats are various medium-sized, long-tailed rodents of the superfamily Muroidea. "True rats" are members of the genus Rattus, the most important of which to humans are the black rat, Rattus rattus, and the brown rat, Rattus norvegicus...
perched on a tree stump; and a staircase covered with spiders whose bodies resemble skull
Human skull
The human skull is a bony structure, skeleton, that is in the human head and which supports the structures of the face and forms a cavity for the brain.In humans, the adult skull is normally made up of 22 bones...
s. The rat lunges forward toward the car while the spiders spin back-and-forth on the stairs. The room is used frequently to house cars which have broken down. The entrance to the main workshop is also located in the room.
The car goes through a single set of doors and enters a crooked hallway. Bill Tracy's rides often included a crooked hallway or two. As the vessel moves forward into the room, it is tilted to an angle, giving the feeling of falling. This is achieved by placing a raised tire-track on one side of the car's path, while leaving the other side flat. The guide-rail hinge allows for the body of the vessel to tip to the side while safely maneuvering the uneven rade. This room also takes the vessel up a small incline, which is crucial in allowing the next gag the proper floor space. After coming through a set of doors at the end of the hallway, the vessel enters a spinning tunnel. At the end of the tunnel is a full scale replica of a coffin shaped vessel; just like the one the riders are in. This replica spins 360-degrees in sync with the tunnel; along with another crooked grade; giving the illusion
Illusion
An illusion is a distortion of the senses, revealing how the brain normally organizes and interprets sensory stimulation. While illusions distort reality, they are generally shared by most people....
of being pulled into a swirling vortex.The cars are actually heading through an elevated bridge-like tunnel, with the barrel surrounding them. The barrel itself was installed by the Philadelphia Toboggan Company
Philadelphia Toboggan Company
The Philadelphia Toboggan Company is one of the oldest existing roller coaster manufacturing companies in the world.Mack Rides of Germany dates back to 1781, but it did not start building coasters until 1921 Based in Hatfield, Pennsylvania, it was established in 1904 by Henry B...
.
The cars turn to the right, and head toward a stream of green lights upon the wall. Suddenly, a light turns on; revealing a bedroom turned upside down. A woman is situated on a bed stuck to the ceiling. The car creeps through this room, maneuvering another crooked grade. The car then picks up some ample speed, and heads down an incline past a variety of gags and non-animated characters, such as; a family of Trolls
Troll
A troll is a supernatural being in Norse mythology and Scandinavian folklore. In origin, the term troll was a generally negative synonym for a jötunn , a being in Norse mythology...
; a hippopotamus
Hippopotamus
The hippopotamus , or hippo, from the ancient Greek for "river horse" , is a large, mostly herbivorous mammal in sub-Saharan Africa, and one of only two extant species in the family Hippopotamidae After the elephant and rhinoceros, the hippopotamus is the third largest land mammal and the heaviest...
; a discarded dummy from the electric chair gag on the second floor, missing its hands and feet; a birthday party where a group of Evil Clowns pull a severed head
Head
In anatomy, the head of an animal is the rostral part that usually comprises the brain, eyes, ears, nose and mouth . Some very simple animals may not have a head, but many bilaterally symmetric forms do....
out of a birthday cake
Birthday cake
The birthday cake has been an integral part of the birthday celebrations in Western cultures since the middle of the 19th century. Certain rituals and traditions, such as singing of birthday songs, associated with birthday cakes are common to many Western cultures. The Western tradition of adding...
; and a werewolf
Werewolf
A werewolf, also known as a lycanthrope , is a mythological or folkloric human with the ability to shapeshift into a wolf or an anthropomorphic wolf-like creature, either purposely or after being placed under a curse...
figure. Nearing the end of the incline, the cars pass the Tracy gag known as the Old Mill. The gag involves a scantly-clad damsel chained to a piece of wood. When the gag is activated, the platform on which the wood rests is tilted; the wood slides forward, feeding the damsel into a spinning saw blade.
The cars maneuver a slight inclined turn, where they pass by the Knit-Witt, an original 1964 gag; a set of three wall-mounted busts; and a witch, who lunges toward the car. The car makes yet another rapid descent; this one leads through a graveyard
Graveyard
A graveyard is any place set aside for long-term burial of the dead, with or without monuments such as headstones...
themed room. The cars pass through a number of hinged door-like graves, which are knocked aside as the vessel speeds downhill. Hanging above is a ghoul, while a demonic looking entity rises from behind a gravestone. The car finally begins an ascent upward. As the car climbs up the incline, a bat flies toward the car from overhead. After reaching the top of the incline and crashing through a set of doors, the car passes a coffin
Coffin
A coffin is a funerary box used in the display and containment of dead people – either for burial or cremation.Contemporary North American English makes a distinction between "coffin", which is generally understood to denote a funerary box having six sides in plan view, and "casket", which...
; bathed in a bright red light. The car makes a sharp left turn and heads up a steeper incline. This one, which includes another crooked grade, is located inside another crooked hallway. Nearing the peak, one of the overhead beams cracks. The cars enter a set of doors and level out into darkness.
A light turns on revealing a set of barrels which fall toward the riders. The car then heads into a room where the tipping grade is the gag's main aspect. The room, which is known as the "Wave Room", is decked out with neon wave patterns across the walls. The grade pushes the car back-and-forth as though it were out at sea. Another set of doors leads to a room which is occupied by a Frankenstein
Frankenstein
Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus is a novel about a failed experiment that produced a monster, written by Mary Shelley, with inserts of poems by Percy Bysshe Shelley. Shelley started writing the story when she was eighteen, and the novel was published when she was twenty-one. The first...
who lunges at the vessel, and a Vampire
Vampire
Vampires are mythological or folkloric beings who subsist by feeding on the life essence of living creatures, regardless of whether they are undead or a living person...
lit by strobe lights. The car then heads out onto the ride's second story balcony
Balcony
Balcony , a platform projecting from the wall of a building, supported by columns or console brackets, and enclosed with a balustrade.-Types:The traditional Maltese balcony is a wooden closed balcony projecting from a...
. This portion was a major addition in 1989's expansion. The cars leave the interior scenes and emerge into the light of day. The riders get a better view of Tracy's detailed facade; while passers-by and riders' family and friends can see them mid-ride. The bat which adorns the facade is another 1964 original. It's taken down during the winter and placed inside to avoid the grueling ocean weather, which helps insure its survival. The bat will getting a complete face-lift for the 2010 season.
Re-entering the interior through a set of double doors; (These doors in particular have become plagued with a rider tradition of placing used chewing gum
Chewing gum
Chewing gum is a type of gum traditionally made of chicle, a natural latex product, or synthetic rubber known as polyisobutylene. For economical and quality reasons, many modern chewing gums use rubber instead of chicle...
. They are usually covered in gum, giving them the nickname of "The Gum Doors") the cars enter the main location of the ghost ship additions. While the majority of these stunts are gone now, the backdrops and parts to the stunts are still strewn about. The cars pass by a mummy
Mummy
A mummy is a body, human or animal, whose skin and organs have been preserved by either intentional or incidental exposure to chemicals, extreme coldness , very low humidity, or lack of air when bodies are submerged in bogs, so that the recovered body will not decay further if kept in cool and dry...
, a group of skeletons and a moving coffin which makes loud crashing noises as it tips back and forth.
The next gag;Tracy's Torture Chamber
Torture
Torture is the act of inflicting severe pain as a means of punishment, revenge, forcing information or a confession, or simply as an act of cruelty. Throughout history, torture has often been used as a method of political re-education, interrogation, punishment, and coercion...
; involves a man being stretched on a device
Rack (torture)
The rack is a torture device consisting of a rectangular, usually wooden frame, slightly raised from the ground, with a roller at one, or both, ends, having at one end a fixed bar to which the legs were fastened, and at the other a movable bar to which the hands were tied...
by a torturer; a man hanging from the ankles suspended from the ceiling above a pit of hot coals
Boiling to death
Death by boiling is a method of execution in which a person is killed by being immersed in a boiling liquid such as water or oil. While not as common as other methods of execution, boiling to death has been used in many parts of Europe and Asia...
; and a chained female, whose animated breast
Breast
The breast is the upper ventral region of the torso of a primate, in left and right sides, which in a female contains the mammary gland that secretes milk used to feed infants.Both men and women develop breasts from the same embryological tissues...
s heave in terror. A rat situated near her toes is from a former stunt which reside across the track at one point; this spot is now occupied by a Giant Skull
Human skull
The human skull is a bony structure, skeleton, that is in the human head and which supports the structures of the face and forms a cavity for the brain.In humans, the adult skull is normally made up of 22 bones...
.
The car ventures into a room, where they first meet a toxic waste monster and a mermaid. Then, a corpse leaps from the darkness toward the car, screaming. The car then trips a switch, and a Distortions Unlimited Electric Chair
Electric chair
Execution by electrocution, usually performed using an electric chair, is an execution method originating in the United States in which the condemned person is strapped to a specially built wooden chair and electrocuted through electrodes placed on the body...
prop bursts to life. The animated figure
Figure
Figure may refer to:*A shape, drawing, or representation*Figure, wood appearance*Musical figure, distinguished from musical motif*Shaping a mirror on a reflective telescope*Noise figure, in telecommunication*Dance figure, an elementary dance pattern...
thrashes back-and-forth in the chair while letting out a terrible moan of pain, (in recent years, this moan has be able to be heard throughout the entire second level of the ride) while strobe lights accompany the scene. The prop was originally intended to run for Halloween purposes, and wasn't built to bear a constant state of use. The original motor was at a speed which caused the dummy to thrash so violently, its latex skin would tear. The motor was replaced, and until a recent 2009 replacement body, the prop had run with the same one since the new motor was installed.
The cars turn a corner and head into a train
Train
A train is a connected series of vehicles for rail transport that move along a track to transport cargo or passengers from one place to another place. The track usually consists of two rails, but might also be a monorail or maglev guideway.Propulsion for the train is provided by a separate...
tunnel. The vessel is shook back-and-forth as it maneuvers a set of train-track style planks on the ground, while a bright floodlight shines up ahead. The vessel then passes another Tracy oddity; "The Last Drop" as it was called by his company, involves a women's hands creeping out of a toilet
Toilet
A toilet is a sanitation fixture used primarily for the disposal of human excrement, often found in a small room referred to as a toilet/bathroom/lavatory...
basin. The room is dirty, and the toilet leaks water all over the floor of the gag. The cars then turn to begin their descent to ground level. They creep slowly down a hall lined with neon slates. A Distortions Unlimited hanging man
Gallows
A gallows is a frame, typically wooden, used for execution by hanging, or by means to torture before execution, as was used when being hanged, drawn and quartered...
kicks and struggles to get free. Nearing the end of this corridor, the car jerks left and meets another giant Tracy rat, and an elderly vampire. The car speeds down a set of smaller ramps; these lead to a neon Grandfather Clock
Clock
A clock is an instrument used to indicate, keep, and co-ordinate time. The word clock is derived ultimately from the Celtic words clagan and clocca meaning "bell". A silent instrument missing such a mechanism has traditionally been known as a timepiece...
from which a deranged bird pops out.. The cars pass an Alien, and then round a bend toward the exit doors. The vessel hits a switch causing a waterfall to form over the track. The riders will look as though they are about to get wet, until the car hits another switch that shuts it off just in the knick of time. The car goes through a set of doors and re-enters the lobby. Riders disembark from their coffins and head around the backside of the lobby toward the boardwalk.