The Dark Side of Kennywood, Page 6

Rick Davis

Change Comes To Kennywood

The arrival of the Turnpike ride at Kennywood in 1966 unfortunately sealed the fate of Laff in the Dark although it would soon surface in a different location in the park with a new name and a new look. With the Laff in the Dark and Tornado now gone, Bill Tracy’s Amusement Display Associated Company was free to start work on the Ghost Ship darkride for 1967. The old Laff cars and track, now heavily modified by Tracy, would continue to carry riders through the dark.

The Ghost Ship with its large rotating, grinning skull-faced crab and ship façade took riders on a journey through the hull of an abandoned ship wreck on the high seas. Seafarers encountered giant rats, pirates, skeletons, and various other scary creatures. A waterfall, a Tracy trademark, was also featured in the ride.

By 1969 Noah’s Ark was 33 years old and due for some major renovations so everything but the boat was removed. Mount Ararat was moved to the side of the boat and a new Whale entrance was constructed while the interior received all new stunts. Bozo the One Man Band was removed, but inspired by a similar remodeling of Blackpool Pleasure Beach’s Noah’s Ark; the new ballyhoo would be a continuous parade of animals circling the attraction on a track.

Since the Ghost Ship was a popular attraction, Kennywood invited Bill Tracy to return to the park in 1972 to transform the Safari into Le Cachot, French for “the dungeon.” Tracy’s company created a new 50 foot long, 40 foot high front based on his popular Kooky Kastle design. Kennywood’s new darkride would be unique however, featuring two large oversized motorcycles driven by skeletons with lances on its façade. The ride would feature 10 animated scenes, a water fall, and a 22 foot long dragon. Along with the remodeling, the ride also received brand new spinning Pretzel cars. In 1976 Henri Pohl of Pohl Enterprises of Huron, Ohio, updated the ride with an octopus and a few new black light scenes.

Photos - Rick Davis

The Old Mill was renamed and re-themed once again in 1974 this time by Edward D. Hubert of Unique Designs Company of Baltimore, Maryland. The Old Mill became Hard Headed Harold’s Horrendously Humorous Haunted Hideaway. The classic old mill now had a western theme with a ghost town and lots of skeletons creating the longest running theme in the ride’s history. The original scenes included - various outdoor scenes, mainly grave yards and skeletons; a saloon scene with a bartender, a gunfighter and drunks at a table, a Can-Can dancer, a piano player, and a drunk falling through the swinging saloon doors; a scene with hoot owls; a collapsing mine with skeletons; a ghostly blacksmith and horse; a skeleton playing a harmonica; a jail with a sleeping skeleton jailer and a skeleton trying to steal the cell door keys; and the ride ending with a hanging scene. The dragon heads were removed from the boats and placed into storage this year as well.

Sadly, the Ghost Ship met the same fate as many other classic darkrides. Fire! On June 19, 1975, an electrical problem sparked a fire while the ride was in operation. Quick thinking ride operators safely cleared the ride of all guests and there we no injuries. Making a final sweep of the ride, the last person through was manager Harry Henninger, who thinking his clothes were fire, ran out and leaped into the lagoon!

The blazed also claimed the animated piano player that was formerly in front of the Scooter building as well as the Monkey Band from the Old Mill, and some bumper cars that were stored inside. A serious problem “reared” its head when the park realized it also had lost its entire season’s supply of...toilet paper!

Photos - Rick Davis

Kennywood would finally receive another darkride in 1981 with the arrival of Gold Rusher.Hollywood set designer, Maurice Ayers, and his company, Ayers Studios would create the sometimes funny, sometimes scary darkride above the Sportland building. Along their 550 foot adventure, riders would encounter the Lone Stranger and Tonto, an oncoming locomotive, a crazed miner, and a giant spider with a lady caught in its web to name a few scenes. Bradley and Kay of Long Beach, CA created the ride system which originally had a ground level loading station. In 1984 the hills were removed and the loading platform was elevated to the second story of the building.

Photos - Rick Davis

In 1987, Kennywood constructed the Pagoda refreshment stand. The hand carved dragon’s heads that once graced the Old Mill ~ boats were brought out of storage to adorn the sides of the new building where they remain today.

Although the water ride would remain virtually unchanged, other that the façade being painted blue, the Old Mill name would return in 1993. Sometime during the 90’s Frank Fruscillo added a few new outdoor scenes and replaced a collapsing mine scene with a Wild West shoot-out featuring skeletons battling a human sheriff.

Page: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | Next

---

This article ©2004 Rick Davis
All uncredited photos - Kennywood archive.
Research - Rick Davis and Sarah Windisch
Sources - Kennywood Archive, Carl O. Hughes, Harry Henninger, Kennywood... Roller Coaster Capital of the World and More Kennywood Memories by Charles Jaques, History of Kennywood Park by Marie McSwigan
Special thanks to Marie Riles and Mary Lou Rosemeyer of Kennywood Park, Dave Hahner, Jim Futrell, and Joel Styler.