Fright on Lake Erie
Geneva-On-The-Lake, Ohio, located on the shores of the Lake Erie in northeastern Ohio, is home to a hidden treasure that goes by the name of Erieview park. The park has a long history of entertainment on the "North Coast" that started when Martha and Pop Pera bought their first parcel of land near the lake in the 1920's. Beginning with a miniature golf course and a tennis court, they added kiddie rides and other attractions and soon became Pera's Kiddieland.
In an effort to cater to a larger audience than the typical kiddieland, in 1953 or 54 Pera's had Pretzel construct one of their famous twisting turning darkrides on the site of a former duckpin bowling alley. The park's first darkride featured Cassidy's classic 110 volt, high backed spinning Pretzel cars and many of the standard Pretzel gags. Operations and Safety Director Don "Woody" Woodward noted that it was a very fast ride that had "neat cars, but cheap gags". This classic dark ride entertained patrons for almost two decades.
In the mid 70s the park decided to look for a replacement for its aging Pretzel. They found what they were looking for at that late, great Pennsylvania park, Westview. Originally built in 1963 by darkride legend Bill Tracy, the "Haunted House" was one of two darkrides located at Westview which entertained Pittsburgh residents until the park closed in 1977. Interestingly, it's darkride mate was sold to Knoebel's Amusement Park and became part of the Haunted House there.
In the summer of 1979 Westview's owner accepted Pera's offer for the ride and the difficult task of disassembling and reassembling the attraction began. To aid in reassembly, many photographs of the existing facade and gags were taken. Thanks to Erieview Park we still can view some of Westview Park's dark ride today.
Pera's Kiddieland (renamed Erieview park in 1980) purchased the Tracy ride whichfeatured 540 foot of track, and 10 cars designed by the Allen Hershell Company. Reportedly, this is one of only three such ride systems Hershell made, and likely the only one left.
These unique steel and fiberglass cars are just one of the features that gives this a classic darkride just the right look.
The purchase price included the gags, most of which still populate the ride to this day. The only thing that was not moved to the new park was the rotating barrel. Hindsight being 20-20, it was a decision that was later regretted, but its removal and relocation presented some large logistical problems at the time. Pera's added their own sound effects, as Westview had sold the originals to another buyer.
The earlier facade at Westview featured a giant bat (a Tracy favorite in the early 1960's) and 
several of his classic warped and distorted steeples. The bat unfortunately, was broken in a fall from the roof and was not installed at Erieview. While the tall spindly steeple is gone, the roof area is still reminiscent of the old ride. It's multi-colored roof dormers grace the roof much as the originals did for years at Westview.
An unusual detail of this ride is this large schematic drawing that hangs over the operators area. In addition to showing the track layout and the location of each gag, it also features indicators showing the current location of the cars within the ride. Thanks to the staff and owner of Erieview , we can still enjoy the same stunts created by Bill Tracy almost 40 years ago!
Let's get in line and take a ride. We're next, so with a wave of his hand the operator invites us to have a seat in the car. As he closes the door and fastens the lap bar, he warns us to keep our hands and arms inside the car at all times. With a push of a button he sends our car crashing through the front doors, starting our trip though this relatively unknown treasure.
As the large wooden entrance doors separate us from the world of reality with a bang, we enter the building and immediately come face to face with a partially decayed corpse, foreshadowing the horrifying trip ahead of us.
This figure was originally designed with a flowing stream of "blood" coming from its finger. That feature having been disabled due to the problems associated with using water in a scene. (Wood rot, rust, etc.)
As we round the next corner, we come upon one of the most gruesome scenes in this darkride. A damsel is in deep distress as the saw proceeds to give her a split personality. (Tracy called this scene the Old Mill)
That's not purring you hear ahead, that's a stomach grumbling! One of the meanest, nastiest looking cats you EVER saw appears suddenly around the bend, ready to pounce on any unwary visitor.
Once out of harms way we catch our breath and begin to relax a bit, but soon find ourselves rounding the bend and entering the torture chamber. Here we get a first hand, detailed view of the torturer at work.
Aficionados will note that "ladies" in this ride have been made a bit more politically correct and reveal much less than the original Tracy gags did.
As the tracks carry us beyond the torture chamber, we come across another gruesome resident coming down the Cellar Stairs (Tracy's name for the gag sometimes known as the "head slinger")
Breaking away from the horror theme for a moment, Tracy has managed to retain the sexy lady as a party seems to be going on in the Piano room. But we must wonder what may be in store for her later....maybe a trip to the torture chamber, or a ride on the "Old Mill." (This scene was originally part of the Boot Hill walkthrough at Westview Park.)
Just past the party scene, we encounter a spider large enough to trap us in his web.
The Bat soon makes his presence known as as we come upon another damsel in distress in the Basement.
Next we meet the Mad Scientist. The doctor seems to have something on his mind. Or is it that he has someone's mind on his hand?
As we prepare to exit this humble abode of misfits, we must pass through the final resting place of a few of their former "guests." Although with all the flying around and wailing, I'm not sure how much "rest" they are getting. We breath a sigh of relief that we will not end our days with them and bid them ado.
Thanks to the fine folks at Erieview, this classic darkride will be around for another generation of fans to enjoy. Be sure to stop by Woody's World Arcade and tell Woody that DAFE sent you!
