The Demolished History of The Haunted Shack: Adding the Ghost into Ghost Town - Knott's Berry Farm
Vložit
- čas přidán 28. 08. 2024
- The first 1000 people to use the link will get a free trial of Skillshare Premium Membership: skl.sh/expedit...
There was once a place in Buena Park where water ran uphill, bottles climbed ramps and brooms stood tall on their lonesome… join us for a trip to another time as we explore the history of a Knott’s Berry Farm legend, The Haunted Shack.
www.patreon.com/expeditionthemepark
expthemepark
expeditionthemepark
Special thanks to Eric Lynxwiler.
If you are enjoying this series than make sure to pick-up a copy of KNOTT’S PRESERVED by Christopher Merritt and Eric Lynxwiler. Click this link and save 10%: angelcitypress...
#knottsberryfarm
Video Credits (in alphabetical order)
91 Reasons Podcast
• Knott's Berry Farm Hau...
AL and EL
• Knott's Berry Farm Scr...
Andrew Kennedy
• Dive Devil Six Flags M...
Attraction Spot
• Screamin Swing On-ride...
BK Pictures
• Knott's Berry Farm • H...
• Knott's Berry Farm • 1...
deputay
• 1970 Knott's Berry Far...
Fractured Compass Productions
• ORIGINS POV- New Maze!...
Hollow Studios
• Season of Screams Lost...
Houdini Museum of NY/ Fantasma Magic
• Houdini Museum Of NY: ...
Inside the Magic
• Krazy Kirk (Billy Hill...
InsideUniversal
• The Hanging (2016) - O...
Jason Biggart
• Knotts Berry Farm Mid ...
kingsfordish
• Knott's Berry Farm (19...
PeriscopeFilm
• " STRANGER THAN FICTIO...
Sylvado Andstuff
• Knott’s Scary Farm Hal...
The Opal Season Company
• 1950s Family Road Trip...
The Media Hoarder
• 1980 Knott's Berry Far...
TinyTubeTV
• Our visit to Calico Gh...
Tom Jaycox
• Knotts Berry Farm 1958
torr101
• 1966 Knotts Berry Farm...
Vintage Magic Archives
• Joseph Dunninger
Zach Sprinkles
• Knott's Vertigo
This episode was written and produced by Greg Tulloss
The first 1000 people to use the link will get a free trial of Skillshare Premium Membership: skl.sh/expeditionthemepark03211
Where do you want to go next on Expedition Knott's Berry Farm?
I think "Mystery Lodge" near Calico River Rapids would be interesting.
If we’re keeping the spooky theme, maybe the Alton Towers Haunted House?
I would like to see you do a video on the original Knott’s Beary Tales dark ride. The new version of Beary Tales is debuting to the public this May when Knott’s reopens, so it would be interesting to see how the original 1975 Beary Tales developed and then why it got got replaced by Kingdom of the Dinosaurs despite its popularity.
How about the original parachute ride? That tall tower with the big "K" is surely a historic landmark now.
Knotts soak city history it had locations in Palm Springs and San Diego as well as the one at Knotts berry farm which is still operational
So many great memories growing up in the 60s and 70s in the LA area. Cedar Fair ruined Knott's. They took out everything the least bit historical and unique, and replaced everything with thrill rides. So Cal already had a thrill ride park, Magic Mountain.
Knotts is getting a lot better. Cedar fair has given more autonomy to knotts management after they complained about a few poorly designed rides and the fact that the park is just too small for large coasters.
Bring it back, that's what I say!!!!!! Knotts should be like the "road side, family park, atmosphere." Not a corporate cookie cutter park. I have said it before, Knott's was never the same ever since Cedar Fair bought it.
Truth
Absolutely brother!
be thankful that Disney doesn’t have it.
Knott's Berry Farm has a long long history, a park that inspired Disneyland must be always recognized, great job!
Indeed!
They were going to sell Knotts to Disney until they decided they would rather sell it to someone that would keep it open....Too bad though they sold it to Cedar Fair and they did what Cedar Fair does and just genericed the hell out of it with coasters, coasters, coasters....
@@lutherheggs451 I for one am glad they did...
Blackpool Pleasure Beach in the UK also inspired Walt to make Disney Land, it's really cool seeing what he thought was good enough to take ideas from
It's hard to think that there was a time where Knott's Berry farm was actually a farm and how long it took after the park opened for that to end.
Right?!
@@ExpeditionThemePark Pardon me if you’ve covered this before, but wasn’t there something about a sex crime perpetrated on the grounds by violent hippy squatters? I know that sounds like the plot of a seventies exploitative film, but I recall reading it somewhere.
I worked the haunted shack. My first attraction at knotts in nov of 1988. It was definitely falling apart at the end of its life. There were thick aircraft cables that helped keep the shack up and when they removed them, the shack collapsed on itself immediately. jack falfas was right too. Not many people went inside it towards the end. It seems to always be this way when certain rides or attractions get old and people stop going, once you take it away all of a sudden people want it back to go on again
shout-out to the cast members who hosted the tours-- the deadpan dad jokes in this video made me so nostalgic. I'm from northern California and my dad loves Knott's. when we took family trips to Disneyland, we always took a day at Knott's Berry Farm too
A great day out for sure !
I was a 'Shacker' in 1990 and it was a blast to work at.
Wish this was still open.... I love hokey! That’s what makes Knotts amazing. The berry farm is amazing. Scary farm... even better.
I worked as a Tour Guide in the Haunted Shack in '97. It was awesome.
We went to Knott’s all the time when I was a kid. Once I was picked to sit in the chair on the wall. It wasn’t easy to climb up there. It was taking me a while and the employee said something like, can you hurry, the park closes at 10!! Then I was laughing and had a harder time climbing up!! 🤣
Aaaaaaaahhhhh another expedition Knott’s!!! So much history in such a tiny park. It’s truly amazing and I can tell you I never get tired of hearing all the stories about the place I work :) I hope to see more of these in the future!
Thank you so much for watching!
Not only do I have fond memories of this attraction, it was also the location of my very first Haunt maze in 1998 called “Dead Man’s Wharf”!
That's awesome!
I remember Dead Man's Warf! Great haunted maze.
2019 the shake had a nod too to back in the maze in ghost town. I don't remember the name
@@catgirlrinoaable Yup! It was the Origins maze where Red Barn used to be!
So nostalgic. I loved this attraction. I went to the Oregon Vortex several years ago and it was not as good. Still worth a diversion off the highway to visit. The closing scene with the skeleton had my favorite line. "I used to work here, but I just couldn't take it"
Awesome you got to visit!
There is a crooked house attraction in Idlewild in Pennsylvania that has a lot of the same tricks. I loved it as a child because it was so disorienting and I had no idea how the tricks were done.
Hope to check it out one day!
Same with the Mystery Spot, about an hour south of San Francisco. Just went the other day and it involved dad jokes, a house tilted and all the "water flows upwards so weird" things.
@@ExpeditionThemePark It's called "Confusion Hill", and I believe it is still in operation.
Idlewild is so dang expensive for what it is!
I was born and raised in Southern California. Knott's Berry Farm was a huge part of my childhood. I loved the Haunted Shack! I love ALL your Knott's Berry Farm content, even Windjammer Surf Racers (the worst best roller coaster). Hopefully you will do a video of Ghost Rider someday! 👻👻👻 Keep up the good work!
I have so many memories here! Loved the Haunted Shack, and it sort of became the Knott's equivalent to the Jungle Cruise as a place for bad jokes and puns from the host. I've personally thought a worthy replacement would be a Vekoma MadHouse, which are actually quite rare in the USA, with only two on the east coast, and none on the west coast at all.
Great job as always. Keep up the great work on recognizing the innovative history of Knott’s! I worked at Knott’s in the early nineties in a leadership role when the Knott Family still was in charge. It was one of most well managed places I have ever worked at. The Haunted Shack was very well loved as a piece of Knott’s history. I would suggest more videos on such Knott’s attractions as Motts Miniatures, The Transfiguration, The Old Trails Hotel, Jungle Island, and Mystery Lodge/Indian Trails. The shows at Knott’s too would be great fun too- Knott’s Ice Spectacular, the Birdcage Theatre, The CloudNine ballroom and Studio K. There is so much!!!
Jungle Island was so fun when I was a kid. So many memories of feeding the ducks and chasing the chickens, too!
This kind of walk throught attractions are so fun! Parks should bring them back!
Oh the memories. Would visit grandparents that lived in Anaheim quite often and Grandma would always, always send us off to Knott's. The Haunted Shack had always entertained and puzzled my young mind at the time. Anyone remember the Loop Trainer?
Ceder fair ruined so much that made Knott's so special
Was just there yesterday (Sat March 27th) for Taste of Boysenberry and then to watch this great video gives me chills..Im a season pass holder and as one, I greatly appreciate the love and dedication to your videos of this hidden gem called Knotts Berry Farm.
Hope you had a great time at Taste!
@@ExpeditionThemePark thank you, I sure did!
The haunted shack was a favorite of mine as a kid. Was sad to hear they took it out along with Knotts Beary Tales.
Knott’s Beary Tales was my favorite attraction as a kid!!! We spent so much time at Knott’s when we lived in the area. I think I have Boysenberry in my blood!! 🤣
Same.
I tell my kids and grandkids about the Haunted Shack when we would go to Knotts. They would give the face of yeah right. Maybe it sounded cooler than it really was. But I had fun going in there as a kid.
Yeah a fun time!
Loved this video i’m 42 and I too as a kid was shocked and amazed what i saw at the shack until i said the oath at the end lol.Thank you for these videos as a local to disneyland and Knotts I always love your videos of these parks. The stage coach was my favorite as a kid also the man that talks to you in the outhouse.
Absolutely loved the haunted shack! I was so upset when they removed it. But then was super excited when I found it in calico!
This used to be my favorite attraction at Knott's Berry Farm as a kid, I thought it was like magic, but I knew it was just an illusion! It was a lot of fun.
Never realised Knotts had such a unique attraction. Shame they closed this.
There's one still just a couple hours away! Near San Francisco (an hour or so south) is the Mystery Spot. Just went the other day and if I remember right, it was created after the Oregon Vortex.
There are several of these "Mystery Spot" attractions scattered throughout the USA. I've been in a couple, Michigan and Oregon. They are pretty cheesy, but still fun. Worth a visit if you happen to be driving by, but I wouldn't make s special trip.
I used to go here all the time!!! For Knott's Scary Farm it was amazing! A shame it's gone.... I do miss it. I work there now as "Sad Eyed Joe" & a miner in Pan for Gold & I love every minute of it. OSHA actually as well was the one who basically closed the Shack due to handicapped access.
I love visiting Sad Eye and can't wait to come chat to him on my next visit!
Nice! I'm usually there or pan for gold. When it's not scary farm... then I'm chasing kids thru Ghost Town. It'll be a pleasure to meet you sir.
@Super Channel Awesome Time Oh I'm just sitting here...talking to the folks it's not all that bad
Cedar Fair has pretty much sucked the fun out the park, replacing all charm with as much steel girders as possible. It's as if they have a contract with certain coaster makers to buy "x" amount of coasters each year.
The Haunted Shack was awesome, it was a rip off of The Mystery Spot ( and we all knew it ) but it was Knott's version of the Haunted Mansion. It was something unique to that theme park ( stolen idea from Mystery Spot not withstanding. ) I really enjoyed that attraction and regarded it as something I had to see EVERY time I was there. It was a bit like the Jungle Cruise in that you needed a great host to overcome the otherwise easy to figure out gags.
Thats what Cedar Fair does to everything they buy. They suck all the personality and fun out of it and just have coasters, coasters and, more coasters......Surprised they haven't closed down things like the Calico Mine Ride to replace it with some steel monstrosity called the Calico mine escape or something....Yet LMFAO Jaguar still exists and that ride is trash.
@@lutherheggs451 Exactly.
i love knotts Berry Farm its one of my favroate theme parks
Me too!
Been waiting for this one for a while. Loved this attraction and was gutted when they razed it. It was also one of my first haunted attractions at Halloween Haunt in 1990. It was Camp Hatchet Head at that time. I also remember it as Dead Man’s Wharf. Thanks for giving so much attention to Knott’s, Sam! The fact that you give them so much love, and in such detail, when so many others ignore it, is why I’m a Patron. Have a great day! 🙂
I think it'd be interesting to merge the haunted shack concept into a walkthrough/roller coaster experience. Have the queue area be it's own experience, taking you through the legend of the original house and feature much of the same tricks, and then at the end divert to a coaster that diverted in it's second half to a twisted version of the first half.
Very fun clever concept.
I'd love a bit of wooden coaster feel thrown in there.
I picture part of it, the twisted half, going through a shack like Goofy's Barnstormer and emerging as a different experience.
@@hotaru8309 Ya wooden would be the best option for sure. You'd have to convey the idea of going through the shack or some version of it at high speeds, only real way to do that would be some kind of wooden coaster. Maybe with some sort of artificial cover around the track to give it a tunnel experience..
Ah, memories...
Also, if rumors are to be believed, there will be an expansion of Ghost Town in the next few years. I can see this making a return in some form is that's the case!
The Haunted Shack is one of my favorite childhood theme-park memories! I was so happy to see the spooky diorama get mentioned as well, that creeped the heck outa me as a child. Great vid! ***** 5 Stars!
A mystery themed roadside attraction in OR? Boy the Gravity Falls jokes write themselves.
The Haunted Shack like the Enchanted Tiki Room are needed attractions. A place to decompress from all the overstimulation.
Its funny. Its cool learning the history of the Shack. I think the creators would beam with pride knowing this, the Birdcage and even the Jungle Cruise became the practice grounds of countless entertainers from Steve Martin and Robin Williams to radio DJs and MCs.
Many greats come from those!
Just goes to show: never give up Gruncle Stan
This makes me contemplate what the walkthrough version of the Haunted Mansion would’ve been like to experience! Then again, it probably would’ve sadly also been long gone (given how much emphasis there is on guests per hour in theme parks)!
That's why I don't bother. Stuff changes immediately once people stop giving money.
They had one of these in Astroworld in Houston called "The Wacky Shack". I used to love going in there as a kid. They had a similar show inside.
A long lost treasure of my childhood! Thanks for the video it brought back lots of fun memories.
Thank you so much for watching
They still have one at the actual town of Calico over by Barstow
the best part about knott's back in the old days was that it was FREE!
That was so much fun. That pipeless faucet trick FASCINATED me when I was little.
Such a cool effort !
I love these kinds of rides and walk-throughs. Hope to see more dark rides covered in the future 😎
You have amazing content. I look forward to your next video. When I get the notification, I admit it, I smile and say "hell yeah". Keep up the great work my friend.
Thank you so much
I love the fact that I had the opportunity to visit this ghost town, with a tour. I’ll never forget that. As a kid it was really awesome to see the tilted house.
Exactly !
I think I was 16 the first time I experienced the shack a couple years before it closed. Glad I caught it when I did. I remember the part with the billiard balls the most. Of course I knew it was a gravity thing, but seeing it in real life was just REALLY awesome!
Haunted shack was one of my favorite things about Knott's as a kid. That and the huff and puff until I got too old. So nice to watch this video, I'll have to share it with my dad!
i LOVE the sort of tongue in cheek humor used by the tour guide in the archive footage.
Thanks for this video man! This video brings back great memories. I suggested the Angle Inn attractions once when u asked what we thought you should do next. The Haunted Shack is exactly the same. I don't think I've ever enjoyed a CZcams video more! I miss my Opryland Angle Inn
Thank you for watching!
I use to love this attraction so much
A fun one for sure!
Yea, this was always a highlight when I was a kid.
There used to be a similar house at six flags over Texas. It was located between the exit of the log flume and the path to the entrance of the log flume and titan. I do not know if it still stands because I haven’t been to the park in a while but the last time I went the entrance still existed just behind a dip’n’dots stand
Interesting !
There was one at Six Flags over Ga when it first opened
I love videos like this thanks for making these keep up the good work
Thanks for watching !
in 1985 my family went to knotts and the first thing that our group decided to do was the haunted shack. I was 6 and didnt want to because i was scared. So once inside, I found it kinda boring, although everyone else seemed to become so nauseated. The only thing i remember from that trip was that experience because of the freakout and complaining that the adults had over that whole experience. When I went again as a teenager it actually was closed.
Now while I've never actually been up to the Santa Cruz Mystery Spot although I've had 24 years to try, I've always loved the concept of these places. It would be nice if some of the old ways of entertainment still existed at amusement parks or roadside.
I remember this from the 80’s and how much fun I had. I only saw it once, but laughed every time I walked past it
I was at that final Knott's Scary Farm when the house was there and I remember going in. I had no idea it was going to go away when I was there. ;) I remember walking in it when I was a young kid too. That was in the 80's.
This haunted shack sounds so cool! Clever angles, good moderators talking about things, sounds low maintenance-ish, but also amazing!
In the very early 80s I went to Knotts as a child (around 5 or 6). I have this very distinct memory of a scene in a walk thru attraction.. Where you're in a dark room, and a ghost with a skeleton face comes at you with a bloody knife. A strobe effect was a used to stimulate lighting from the outside with sound effects as well... I can't figure out where that was. It frightened me my whole childhood after. This was not during Halloween time, but during the summer months. I'm wondering if this was it? Something they added during that time period maybe? We also went to Universal Hollywood during that same vacation. Maybe it's something I remember from there? Anyone have info or any memory of this as well?
I was afraid of the effing log ride, so no, we never went on that attraction. Yeah, I was only about two, but it doesn’t say much for my bravery.
Ghost towns have always been very interesting attractions to me
While I loved the Haunted Shack, in its later years, it was a better maze location than a year round attraction. I'd like to bring it back for that!
Idlewild has a very VERY similar attraction called Confusion Hill, and they also used to have one called Dizzy Lizzy's with a similar tour and it also included one of those upside down spinny rooms
There's one of these at Idlewild Park in Ligonier, Pa called Confusion Hill. We used to go every year and would go through this while there, lots of fun!
Wow, I didn't know that handy watch trick!
*suddenly remembers I have a smart phone*
Oh, right...
Thank you so much for your Knott’s content. It’s often the neglected theme park in Southern California, but it’s so important in regards to theme park history. Would love to see you and SuperEnthused do a collab vlog at Knott’s when you can get over here.
Never knew there was an amusement park behind those shortbread cookies with the jam in the middle, where you can find in clothes stores around the States.
I've been to mystery spots before and I've researched them a bit but your video and diagrams were the first things that made me understand how the illusions work lol
That's why I came here. To see how the leaning floor works.
There was a crazy shack like that up around Sandusky and Cedar Point as well..
I've only been to Knott's once, but the Haunted Shack was still there. Yes it was kind of cheesy, but I loved it. The other two things that stuck out in my mind was the mine cart ride.....and we went to a stage and Ricky Nelson gave a show....with a pre-show of a beautiful colored water fountain curtain thing.....it is hard to explain, but it sure looked neat.
This was the one part of Knott's Berry Farm when we visited in the late 90s that stuck with me as a unique experience. Shame that it couldn't be revamped into a new experience.
Always look forward to your videos!
Thank you!
Super interesting! Good video as always :)
Thank you!
Thank you, thank you, thank you!! I've been waiting for a video like this forever.
My family would always go to Knotts back in the day to take Christmas Pictures at the tree. At the time, you could enter the park for a cheaper price, but you couldn't ride any thrill rides. We always did the Haunted Shack though.
Hey, sometimes we all just need a little stupid fun. That place sounds like a blast.
Idlewild park just outside of pittsburgh has an attraction called "Confusion Hill" which is an almost identical 'gravity house'that still operates today.
God I miss this place. Unfortunately, I only got to visit it a couple times before they got rid of it. I wish they’d bring it back
Went to the Mystery Spot in California in 2017, which is pretty much this exact same thing except in the middle of a redwood forest. Hope they've managed to survive through the last year, as it was a very fun experience, and the guides did a great job of selling the illusion. :) Highly recommend it!
Great video, thank you for taking me down memory lane
How funny, I LITERALLY just thought to myself....where's this week's Expedition episode? Thanks!
A little later but it's here!
I love your intro man! 🔥🔥
I remember being picked as a kid for the tall/short swap gag. I loved that place and was bummed when it was removed. So important to have a second (maybe third?) outdoor western stage, though. 😉
I remember the “Angle Inn” at Opryland when I was young. Funny I recall very little else, but these type of themed places do hold fun memories for the littles!
We have something similar called Mystery Hill in Boone, NC.
I've been to Boone and didn't know this! Good to know
@@ExpeditionThemePark It’s been a little while since I’ve been up there but I think it’s still there. Just down the road from the Golden Corral and Walmart.
We use to go to knots berry farms several times a year. I loved it.
Nice Video! Now I know why Ghost Town became a very popular Town in Knott’s Berry Farm! Especially The Haunted Shack!
Thank you!
That watch/compass malarky hurt my brain
Best way to find a bar
Thank you for this! It made me smile. It’s the little things, you know?
Yay super! Do you have Bicentenial man on DVD?
This reminds me of the house at Clark’s trading post in Lincoln NH
Great post, thank you!
KBF died for me when the Haunted Shack was demolished and the 9od "Devil's Volcano" curiosity was dismantled outside the Chicken Dinner restaurant.
My first trip was in 1970 for my 5th birthday. I went to the first Halloween Haunt. I remember when the Roaring 20s area opened with the parachute drop and the Corkscrew. How about the Tin Lizzy cars you could drive yourself on the corner of Crescent and Beach?
I just went back for the first time in decades last month and I don't recognize the place.
They have a ride like this at SFOT called casa magnética that closed down in 1983 but this year it’s finally opening after a very long time of standing but not operating and I’m super excited 😄
Interesting
@@ExpeditionThemePark ikr! Also great video! Your one of my favorite amusement history channels 👍
One of my favorite Easter Eggs was that the ghost faces were The Cryptkeeper, The Old Witch and The Vaultkeeper from the old 50’s EC horror comics
Reminds me of a very similar attraction and theme at a very small kinda nearby park called Idlewild. Not a great park, but the gravity house attraction was pretty cool
Yeah!
"Not a great park"
Heresy. Idewild's a classic.
@@choo_choo_ I mean it is, just not a lot to do for those teens and older, aside from nostalgia. Admittedly I'd love to go back one day, but I just feel like I'd be wasting time. Regardless, I still have great memories of the place visiting with my family.
Was there on yesterday and the photo op for the Haunted Shack was pretty cool. Brought back memories.
I was so happy to hear about the Oregon Vortex! I live right down the street from there and it definitely needs more attention.
I visited the Calico Ghost Town version of the shack and it was an absolute blast.
Always a fun time!
This is so funny because I had just looked at your page and wondered how you did all those great looking graphics. Very impressive, matches the content of your great videos. 🙏🏻❤️
Thank you!
All of these tricks were also done at an attraction in Irish Hills, MI., called Mystery Hill. We went there as teens, and they did ALL of these tricks exactly (the water, the changing places, the chair on the wall, the spigot with no pipe, etc.)
New Hampshire had a place kinda like this at Clark's Trading Post (now Clark's Bears) 🤔
It was called the Tuttle house and you saw the graves of the people right out front of the house and it was wonky when you went inside with a guided tour... by yourself in later years it was just kinda cool... and now it's a shooting gallery. 😑 Parks age weird in America.
Tilted houses are so amazing. I've been to the Mystery Spot in Santa Cruz and no matter how many times I read that it's a trick of perception, I don't quite understand how it works and it simply looks like impossible things are happening.