Tuesday, August 29, 2006

The Haunted Shack, Knott's Berry Farm, Ca. (1954 - 2000)

During the early part of the century, a strange roadside phenomena occurred. Places where the geomagnetic forces appeared to be mis-aligned... places where gravity and light were distorted. People promoted the gimmick as a tourist attraction where round objects and streams run uphill, folks walked on walls, brooms stand on end.
Such sites were:
• The Mystery Shack at Calico Ghost Town, Yermo, CA
• The Mystery Spot, Santa Cruz, CA
• The Oregon Vortex House of Mystery Gold Hill, OR
• Confusion Hill Gravity House, Percy, CA
• Cosmos of the Black Hills, Rapid City, SD
• The Teton Mystery, Jackson, WY
• Confusion Hill, Ligonier, PA
• The Wonder Spot, Lake Delton, WI
• Mystery Spot, St. Ignace, MI
• Mystery Hill, Irish Hills, MI & Marblehead, OH
• Mysterious Tuttle House, North Woodstock, NH
• Mystery Hill, Blowing Rock, NC
• Mystery Shack, NC
• Spook Hill, Lake Wales, FL
• Casa Magnetica, Arlington, TX
• Magnetic Mine Shack, Brainerd, MN
• Mystery Shack, Maggie Valley, NC
Knott's Berry Farm had a haunted shack that was moved directly from the ghost town of Calico, CA. Fortunately for Walter Knott and his family business, he moved it to another, equally powerful geomagnetic anomaly!!! The house of strange phenomena was opened in June of 1954. Daily tours revealed the gravity defying mysteries as told by Slanty Sam in "The Legend of the Haunted Shack."
Your wisecracking guide walked you through a mysterious shack where water ran uphill, chairs balanced precariously on walls, and bad jokes abound. For a sample of the humor you were subjected to, a barrel in the waiting area warned you of its dangerous "Baby Rattlers." It was filled with very small rattles. News of the planned replacement of Knott's Haunted Shack hit the public in early 2000. Due to the attraction's age, operational cost, declining attendance and lack of ADA (Americans With Disabilities) requirements, Knott's decided to remove the attraction to allow room for a new roller coaster. This news was met by great sadness from both enthusiasts and normal, everyday patrons. The Shack was a staple of Knott's Berry Farm, and a reminder of the slower and more unique attractions which used to dominate the Farm.
The Haunted Shack's last patrons went through in September 2000, right before it was transformed into Dead Man's Wharf for Halloween Haunt. As soon as Haunt closed for the season, the Shack closed forever. As soon as the final Haunt props were removed, the destruction began.

7 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

knott's used to be my favorite...for some reason I wanted to go there more than D'land as a kid. Remember very well the Haunted Shack. The mine ride was pretty cool as well...

August 30, 2006 8:10 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Knott's was great. It had that little bit of grit that personified old Orange County.

The Seal Pit, The Mexican Village, Gypsy Village and The John Wayne Theater are all missed.

October 17, 2006 6:16 PM  
Blogger Okie said...

I loved the shack...makes me sad that it's been closed down. it was way fun.

August 26, 2011 5:31 PM  
Blogger LasVegasismyhome said...

Yup I agree....I grew up in Orange County and loved Knots Berry farm....my father was Walt Disney's chef so we could go to Disneyland any time we pleased but I too was so excited when we'd go to KBF.... The hauted shack was a favorite!!!!!
Does anyone know where they moved it or is it still being used as an attraction?

January 06, 2013 9:19 PM  
Blogger Unknown said...

The old haunted shack is in santa cruz, california as is now called 'The Santa Cruz Mystery Spot'.

October 06, 2014 5:45 AM  
Blogger Corinthian Bewlay said...

I was a "Shacker" back in 1990 under Raffi and Masis Kaprelyan (sp?) eventually became KBF VP & GM.

September 12, 2016 3:54 PM  
Blogger Unknown said...

I always enjoyed Knott's berry farm I loved going in this attraction.Paper tickets in a book 1960s

September 18, 2020 1:25 PM  

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