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History Of Haunted Amusements

MrRING

MrRING

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I've been reading a bit on haunted rides (like the Haunted Mansion), but I'm sure it's not the first haunted amusement out there.

This site has some good info:
Laff in the DARK

But my question is, how far back in time does the haunted amusement go?

I remember my old elementary school carnival had a haunted classroom trailer, where the main thing was a coffin wherein a woman vampire came alive to our terror and delight (and which now reminds me of Mummer's plays...). Is this the origin of all the haunted rides in the world, the Mummer's play? Or is there something more?
 
I think the haunted amusement park is just a development of our over active minds. In the same realm of the crying or evil clown. The idea of amusement parks is of joy, innocence and carefreeness. But we all know deep down that this is actually very tacky and fake and if we look closer we begin to see the shabbyness of it all.

So when our minds are confronted by an apparent 'happy' image, one that supeficially conjours up lost memories of childhood joy, in the harsh cold light of reality we cannot help but have the feeling that something is fundamentally 'wrong'. I find it very maudlin.

Anyone who has seen those photos of the amusement park just outside chernobyl can testify that it does look creepy and certainly not an ideal holiday location. But in all reality it is just our minds becoming confused.
 
I think a likely precedent for 'haunted' rides would be the artificial grotto or nympheum, just as pleasure gardens are the precursors of amusement parks (the Renaissance Bosco Sacro at Bomarzo, Italy, is a fantastic example).
Grottoes were generally designed to create an atmosphere of otherworldliness and unease, with statues, fountains, water automata, shells, tufa or wormstone, and little ambient lighting.
They are also quite ancient in origin, with the remains of Roman examples, though fine grottoes survive from the Italian Renaissance at Boboli and the Villa d'Este, and later English 18th century examples at Stourhead and Goldney Hall, amoungst others.
 
Yes and more recently amusement parks have regarded the haunted realm as
another excuse to enjoy "otherness" on a day out.

"Haunted House" was a standard penny-in-the slot machine. There was certainly
one still in operation at the end of Southport Pier after the demise of the old currency.

For your penny you got a Victorian_Edwardian parlour in which things moved, the clock
ran backwards and eventually a sheeted spook ran out.

Meanwhile, Southport's Pleasureland offered a Haunted Swing! I never did work that
one out. It was almost as if the swing stood still and . . .

But that could never be. :confused:
 
A bit OT but does anybody recall the ghost train fire at Luna Park in 1979. I believe that seven people died. I guess the ride was never rebuilt but if it had been you may well have a real haunted ride!
 
Not quite the subject of the thread but here is a story of a haunted carousel, or maybe just the one horse.
I went on the brilliant and very scarey old ghost train on the old Pier at Brighton, can't remember which one but maybe the one that is mostly gone now. It wasn't like the modern ghost trains with flashy lights and neon paint and air horns, it was pitch black except for the odd gap in the floor board through which you could see the heaving grey sea, and every so often the train would pass a little scene that would light up, it would go past them slowly which made them all the more terrifying, they were quite realistic horror tableaux which left me and my sister, horror film fans from a young age, quite disturbed.
 
This is a really old thread, but I am browsing and it reminded me of something (fairly minor) that happened at Luna park in Sydney.

We were on holiday visiting Brother in law & his family 8 years ago. We went to Luna park - Fantastic, and a real sense of the past which i thought was great.

Anyway. after being there for a couple of hours making our way deeper in to the park, which I got the impression is long and narrow, there is a point at which on the right there are some picnic tables in a sheltered area that reminded me of caves a bit. Whilst sitting there eating hot dogs and having a drink, chatting & mucking about with the kids, I suddenly got a sharp very direct thought almost like a voice but in my head that said 'SOMEONE DIED HERE'. It was out of the blue completely, and I must have showed it too, as my Wife asked me what was wrong. I did not say, and the rotten feeling passed after a little while. I guess that loads of people may have died in that area over the years, but this seemed to make me think 'this very spot'
I wonder whether any local people on the boards have any thoughts on this.
I do know that the area where Luna park is used to be workshops etc for when the Harbour bridge was built, which was around 1930. so the park itself is not really old like some others.
 
jeff544 said:
I wonder whether any local people on the boards have any thoughts on this.
I do know that the area where Luna park is used to be workshops etc for when the Harbour bridge was built, which was around 1930. so the park itself is not really old like some others.
Click to expand...

Living in Sydney and working in the heart of the City, I have been to Luna Park many times. And yes, you do get a sense of the age of the place, especially in "Coney Island" (though the Hot Dogs are AWFUL :( )

But I don't know of any deaths there - though I know a number of people died buidling the Harbour Bridge. There was also a fire in 1979 that killed some people:

http://tinyurl.com/2qbza8

That's about all I can think of.
 
Zilch5 said:
jeff544 said:
I wonder whether any local people on the boards have any thoughts on this.
I do know that the area where Luna park is used to be workshops etc for when the Harbour bridge was built, which was around 1930. so the park itself is not really old like some others.
Click to expand...

Living in Sydney and working in the heart of the City, I have been to Luna Park many times. And yes, you do get a sense of the age of the place, especially in "Coney Island" (though the Hot Dogs are AWFUL :( )

But I don't know of any deaths there - though I know a number of people died buidling the Harbour Bridge. There was also a fire in 1979 that killed some people:

http://tinyurl.com/2qbza8


That's about all I can think of.
Click to expand...

Hey, Zilch.

Thanks so much for the reply, The Coney Island is the indoor bit isn't it? we loved that, is it still there?
Don't remember the hot dogs being awful, but I would eat almost anything :roll:
The ghost train fire is interesting though, never knew about that.

I did the bridge climb while we were there, FANTASTIC. Should be made compulsory.
I want to come back :(
 
Hello,

Yes, Coney Island is the really old fashioned indoors bit - and great nostalgic fun! I haven't had a decent Hot Dog in Australia in years - mind you we got better food than the Yanks in about every other category, but the Hot Dog is an orphan here. Or maybe I am just too picky... :D

I've done a bit more googling but there is nothing I can find on ghosts at Lunar Park unfortunately. Heck, you'll just have to come back and do your own investigation. Let us know when and we'll throw another prawn on the Barbie and make sure the Chardie is cold. ;)
 
Zilch5 said:
Hello,

Yes, Coney Island is the really old fashioned indoors bit - and great nostalgic fun! I haven't had a decent Hot Dog in Australia in years - mind you we got better food than the Yanks in about every other category, but the Hot Dog is an orphan here. Or maybe I am just too picky... :D

I've done a bit more googling but there is nothing I can find on ghosts at Lunar Park unfortunately. Heck, you'll just have to come back and do your own investigation. Let us know when and we'll throw another prawn on the Barbie and make sure the Chardie is cold. ;)
Click to expand...

I am on me way, get some VB in. :lol:
 
I remember hearing about the ghost train fire.
I always wanted to go to Luna Park but Mum wouldn't let me because she remembered the fire and the people dying (she'd only been there the week before) and she had this idea that the whole place was a death trap.

I finally got to go there for the first time this last New Years Eve. I thought the whole place was a bit boring but I really did love the Coney Island bit. The good thing about the place is that it's free to go in, you just pay for the rides, so if I want to go just to the Coney Island bit, and put money in the gypsy box that tells me every time that my lucky vegetable is an eggplant, I can :D
Oh, and they have a new ghost train now. A tacky one made of wood that you ride around in along a track and have people dressed as Jason jump out at you. Loath as I am to admit it, the guy in the Jason costume scared the shite out of me LOL
 
Probably not really haunted but I reckon @escargot would have liked thus one.

Screenshot-2023-09-04-at-9.18.56-AM.jpg

The snail ride in Margate, England, c. 1920 (public domain)

The Haunted Snail Ride was the coolest looking amusement park ride of all time. Located at the Dreamland Amusement Park in Kent, UK, this attraction operated during the 1920s and looked like something from a surrealist painting.

Before rides were made of plastic, they were hand-crafted with wood, plaster, cement, and paint. The creativity and love that went into building old rides like this was trulyapparent, compared to many of the average looking carnival attractions of today.

I've seen this image before and it always stops me in my tracks whenever I come across it. The detail and humanoid features on the snail's face are completely striking, and slightly unsettling in a way that I love. This ride looks like an absolute dream. I wish there were more artistic carnival attractions like this one today.

https://boingboing.net/2023/09/04/t...-looking-amusement-park-ride-of-all-time.html
 
I recall that Southport's Pleasureland had a caterpillar ride, essentially a rackety up-hill and down-hill affair, like a bumpy train-ride. It was uncovered at first but then the green tarpaulin roof would come over and leave the riders in the dark. Girls were supposed to scream at this point, allowing their beaus to comfort them. What came next was a powerful vent of air, from below, to send their skirts flying . . .

Nice girls were warned about such amusements! My mother seemed to know it quite well, by reputation, she said!

I don't think the contraption had a face - maybe it was one continuous loop, like the human centipede. :omg:
 
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