Bowling Green, KY

Rick Davis

Page 2

A New Beginning

For most parks, this would be the end of our story, but most parks lacked Dallas Jones. After the park lay dormant for three years, Dallas Jones purchased the property from David Garvin. Believe it or not, when he purchased the park in 1987, his original intent was to put some goats out to pasture on the land! Obviously, Dallas had a change of heart and began the journey down the long road to bring the park back to life and, since that time, the park has indeed made a comeback.

In 1989 a Pretzel ride returned to the former Haunted House, not the original ride mind you, but a rotating Pretzel nonetheless. Beech Bend managed to locate a similar ride at the former Funland Park in Paducah, Kentucky. Like the other existing rides, these cars no longer rotate. The cars are fixed at the unusual angle you see in the photograph here.

While the original gags were long gone from Beech Bend’s former darkride, there are two reminders of the original ride. According to the park, the exit door and a gorilla stunt are the only original parts remaining from the first Haunted House. The gorilla, seen at the right, is a rare beast, so to speak. It was created by the defunct "Amusement Display Creators" from Miami Florida and is thought to be one of three that still exist.

Where Pretzel stunts once entertained riders, today you will find a mix of old Funni-Frite gags and locally made or purchased decorations.

There are a few unusual features of the ride that go unnoticed by guests. The ride originally operated with three powered sections of track: the interior of the ride itself, the exit track, and the entrance. One switch applied power to the track to move the car from the loading platform to the interior of the track, one switch applied power to all of the interior track, and the third switch powered the track at the exit in order to move the car to the loading area. Today the ride is literally a one-button operation. The power was removed from the exterior track and the ride operators now push the cars manually from the exit to the loading area.

Other novel features of the ride that are not visible to riders are the ingenious switches and timers that actuate the stunts. With one exception, all of the switches were constructed in-house using common steel rod, tubing, angle stock, and screen door closers! The arm of the device is arranged so that the passing car pushes it forward, in the process closing a micro-switch, which in turn activates the gag and lighting. As the car goes by, a screen door spring helps pull the arm back to its starting position (slowed by the door closer), turning off the gag and lights. Simple, effective, and cheap!

Step inside and have a look around... if you dare!

The park itself has never been satisfied with the ride’s interior and has asked for ideas to improve it on several occasions. Rumor has it that park is considering a total makeover of the ride for 2003. Since a recent report in the Bowling Green News said that Dallas Jones has put over $6 million worth of improvements into the park since 1997 and that he wants to add $4.5 million more in the next few years, could a new or greatly improved darkride be in the park’s future? Time will tell!

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This article ©2002 Rick Davis and used with permission.
Photos ©2000 Rick Davis, and used with permission.
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