The House of Shock
The Darkride (New Orleans, LA)
By: Jason Burkett
This year is the 10th anniversary for the House of Shock. The House of Shock is a New Orleans based "horror show" that was began by Phil Anselmo of Pantera as a way to have fun on Halloween. It has gained national notoriety as one of the best haunted houses in the country, and this year has "kicked it up a notch". A large amount of capital and thousands of hours of volunteer time have been spent on "The Dark Ride", a brand new addition to the House of Shock. Designed by Doug Ferguson, the ride is the first totally new Pretzel-type dark ride built in over 20 years. It perfectly captures the classic dark ride feel with stunts that are homage's to classic Funni-Frite, Tracey, and Pretzel gags that have delighted kids of all ages for over 50 years. Doug also has added digital sound cues, two speed custom built upholstered cars, and a very intricate control system to bring the Pretzel into the 21st century. Doug has truly become a key player in the history of dark rides, in this author's opinion. He is hoping to sell more rides, with larger budgets, to permanent amusement parks. So, if anyone out there is looking for a new dark ride, give Doug a call.
I had the pleasure of visiting the House of Shock on the evening of October 8th, 2002. The ride was still a work in progress. All of the track was completed, and some last minute fine tuning was being done to the electrical system. All the of control logic is complete, all of the stunts are placed, but few are hooked up to their pneumatic drivers. There were also only a few lights and sounds completed. But, I could already tell this ride was going to be fantastic. The cars are custom designed by Doug and are extremely sturdy, as is the track. Plus, each car has its own PLC on-board that works with the control PLC to guarantee a safe ride. The ride looks much more heavy duty than old Pretzel rides I have toured, and is definitely built to last. Plus, the two-speed motors really add to the thrill, as high speed turns can be synced with the best stunts, for added effect.
It must be mentioned that even though the House of Shock is known to be an adults only affair, The Dark Ride is in the same vein as classic dark rides, and while still completely dark, and meant to be scary, it is meant for all ages. If you can handle Disney's Haunted Mansion, you should be able to handle this.
Below is a walkthrough of the ride, showing all of the stunts, in order. THEY ARE "SPOILERS", so continue at your own risk.
The ride begins at the porch of an old dilapidated bayou shack, complete with swing. You, and up to 5 other victims, get in the extremely comfy cars, and are dispatched through the first set of crash doors.
The first stunt, that is timed with the beginning narration, is a twist on the classic snake clock stunt, with a glow in the dark skull instead.
Next, the Grim Reaper welcomes you to his domain.
And, of course, in New Orleans, the Grim Reapers domain is filled with above ground crypts. This crypt will contain a surprise later.
The cemetery scene contains a zombie that can leap over fences, so watch out!
And here he is.
A quick 90 degree turn helps you escape the cemetery, and it's through a set of crash doors into a wind tunnel. Are you afraid of the dark? Better have someone to hold on to here, then. Suddenly, an evil ghouless jumps through some windows and flies right over your heads.
Then, through a flashing light tunnel. Where is it taking you? Do you really want to know?
The final fiend is here to finish off your ride.
The entire ride will take 3 minutes, which is quite long for an old Pretzel ride. And, just like those old rides, plenty of twists in the track make you have no idea where you are going. And of course, everyone is a bit afraid when they are in total darkness. Even with only a few stunts working, my multiple rides through were entertaining, and I could tell the finished ride will provide great scares for all ages.
Below are a few other images from the night. One of some last minute electrical work, and one from the overhead security platform that will contain an emergency stop button if problems arise. One problem faced by old Pretzels was/is vandalism. The House of Shock cars contain ratcheting lap bars that assure you stay where you are supposed to be, and keep your arms and legs inside the car at all times.
And, or course, a picture of me after a great night of riding, taking pics and video, and learning all about how dark rides work. Special thanks to Doug Ferguson and the entire House of Shock staff for letting me have a great time. I only wish I lived closer to New Orleans so I could ride the completed ride, and see the original House of Shock too.
This article ©2002 Jason Burkett and used with permission.
Photos ©2002 Jason Burkett, and used with permission.