Americana/ Lesourdsville Dark ride?

[girlafraid]

I apologize in advance if this is inappropriate or in the wrong place, but it's been absolutely killing my little brain for years.
 

I was born in 1978 and we had KI passes and went weekly until I was in my late teens. I probably went to Americana about 5 times in the 80's/early 90's because we were at KI so often. However, I have this really intense memory of a dark ride at Americana. I have googled and googled and can't find any mention of it. I remember there being black beetle like cars, (not unlike Phantom Theatre) and when the ride started there was a bat patterned wallpaper.  Is this real? Does anyone have any images of this ride on the internet anywhere? I would place this memory about 1983?

Thank you! xxx

[The Interpreter]

Welcome to KIC.

And yes, it's real.

Stay tuned...

[girlafraid]

Thanks! I'm on pins and needles! ha
I've been lurking around KIC for years, but I moved away from Cincinnati a long time ago so only pop on if I'm going to be visiting the park or have a pang of nostalgia! 

[Tanna]

http://www.ochh.net/tracylesourdsvillelakepark.html

 

Here's a link to the Haunted House dark ride from LeSourdsville. The was a ride through as long as I can recall, but is listed as a walkthrough.

The other dark ride was a Funhouse, (Barrel of Laffs, I think- it had a lot of tottering barrels on the outside )that started as a walk through, then later became a ride through.

There use to be a woman opening and closing the upper floor window as she laughed. My brother has the 78 from the park of her laughing.

The cars were called Hushpuppies.

 

http://laffinthedark.com/articles/tracy/tracy1.htm

 

This link will have many of the gags that you probably remember.

[girlafraid]

cool, but I can't seem to find the laff in the dark that was at Americana. But still super cool to read through. Was that image of the spider eating the skeleton's head in the Americana one? That image seems familiar?

[Tanna]

cool, but I can't seem to find the laff in the dark that was at Americana. But still super cool to read through. Was that image of the spider eating the skeleton's head in the Americana one? That image seems familiar?

As I recall, and Terp can help me remember correctly, I'm sure, this dark ride in Lesourdseville was on the left side as you entered the park, halfway between the entrance and the far side of the left midway.

I still can't recall the correct name of the funhouse, but I believe it was "Barrel o' Fun" or "Barrel o' Laffs" It could have been just the stock Bill Tracy "Wacky House" it was located further down the midway, right before you go to the basketball hoop game and the paratroopers. You would've have passed it on your way to the Cyclone.

Since the "Barrel o'" house was meant to be a walkthrough, it had a lot of perspective tricks, like a slanted room, an upside down room with a frightened lady in the bed on the ceiling being shocked. It had a walkway with a spinning barrel around it, the twisting hallway, and shaking stairs. It also had the up skirt air blast grid, but by the time I went though it, it was passe, because clothing was casual by that time. I recall waving to my mother on the upper walkway between the tottering barrels, but I can't recall if it was part of the normal walk through, or if I'd been given a tour. We had family friends that worked there, and I saw parts of the park closed off to the public.

It's harder to recall all that was in the Haunted House, as I was young. I recall it had bats painted along the wall, and the small cars, which I believe were painted black. You absolutely BANGED into the door as you entered and left the interior of the ride. I know they had the falling beam gag, they had bats strung on wires, and a skeleton that bounced down and then back up as you BANGED through an inner door into another room. There were big spiders, but they were behind a fenced section, I suspect because it was 1970's and there was a destructive streak running through patrons. Come to think of it, a lot of the hallway stuff was behind fencing, and recall there was a woman in distress who was protected by either glass or plastic.

At the exit it was painting to look as if you were going to smash into the wall before you took a sharp turn and BANGED into the daylight.

In the photo, the long window on the second floor had a woman with long dark hair that opened and closed the windows and laughed.

Because the Haunted House and funhouse were supplied with stock gags from the ADA catalog, I had a good time looking at videos under the search of "Bill tracy dark rides"

I'm sure that would jar your memory.

[girlafraid]

You're awesome.
OK, was there a giant rat, and the flouro painted wonky hallway in the ride through one?
I don't recall the walk through at all, maybe I was too little to go in it?

[Tanna]

Thank you. It's not awesome, it's called 'being old'.

It would have been a ride through by the time you would've gone through the Wacky House. They refitted it with cars when I was about 8(?) years old. The history of the Haunted House says it was a walk through, but it must've been refitted before my time.

I'm 52 years old. When you look at the photo of the Haunted House turnstile rail, I had to reach up to grab the upper rail when I stood in line at the time. Lesourdsville was the "grown ups" park, and only the second amusement park in the area, (Fantasy Farm was right next door).

I think the giant rat was right as you entered the ride. And the trick twisted hallway was in it. The Haunted House also had the rolling barrel tunnel, painted with flames.

(rolling barrel walkways are funnier if you walk- my mean streak is showing- I used to make my brother walk through the barrel first, he was coordination challenged, and always would tilt towards the turn of the barrel as he crossed, and would sometimes fall down.)

They also had a funky hall in the Wacky House because they kept it 2 storie, as I recall. Again, Terp can help if I've misremembered. After looking at some of the videos, I can now see why the Haunted House was difficult to remember- there were strobes throughout the whole thing.

I'm talking about both houses at the time, because it's very likely you went through both, and you can see where the memories might blend together. They did for me.

Some of the "lights on" tours on YouTube are enlightening as to why there aren't more of these old dark rides. The nail work and rickety woodwork are a modern lawsuit waiting to happen.

[girlafraid]

Old and Awesome?! that's the look I'm going for nowadays! ha

 

I seem to remember more and more little bits, thank you so much. I thought there was a bit where they had put someone in a large cauldron and the figures were stiring the pot with a stick were wearing loin cloths. What I wouldn't give to just go through once now to see what it was really like.

I also seem to remember that one of the doorframes snapped as you went under it? and yes it was super strobed. That's where my hatred of strobe lighting started!

[Tanna]

And there were heads on the walls in room! Haha!

Funny what you remember!

Way down on the bottom of the picture, on your right, i think that's him.

The witch looks familiar, too. I think she had a back cat on her arm.

http://www.laffinthedark.com/articles/adc/adcb8.htm

I think the strobe was to cover up the bad artwork!

[Alvis]

Wow, just stumbled onto this discussion. I was also born in 78 and have distinct memories of the Americana Haunted House from about 1982/3. It was definitely a ride-through. I remember it being in the left when you entered, in a pretty unremarkable rectangular building.  Little black cars. Doors banged open. Inside, most of the gags were masked figures behind fencing. As you passed, they would light up and a loud buzzer would sound. My favorite was the falling barrel gag— a stack of barrels would tip toward the car, but stop short of falling on you. 

That ride gave me a push into a lifetime of home haunting.