There is a book out there about those scary Dark Rides at the parks, carnivals and fairs. It's good reading and from a member of The Magic Café. Give it a shot. It's even free on screen!

Scary Dark Rides explains a lot of life’s essence. It’s planning to face the freighting unknown with questionable courage, surviving and going for it again. Doug Higley’s book puts it in a nutshell but includes the details. As a baby-boomer I well remember climbing into the cars of those enclosed rides through socially acceptable terror. (Just as planned!) Doug’s book included the most complete information on the creators, entrepreneurs, names and locations of these attractions I have ever seen. As a youngster, I never recognized what an industry scary dark rides had grown to be. A few still exists but many more are long gone. Doug’s book Scary Dark Rides does an exciting job of bringing back the images and emotions we experienced from the seats of those moving cars. We miss them.

Bob Sanders
Magic By Sander

Excellent read. Thank You Doug for bringing back some very fond memories of my youth .
Iven

I picked up a DVD historical on the 50s midnight spook shows and one segment was a ride through one of the old dark rides someone had filmed way back then. I believe the disk is called Monsters haunt the pajama party.

It had loads of stuff on it from a couple of really bad movies to a montage of posters and other stuff.

Scott

I've amused myself on several evenings by watching a short little VHS titled Creepy Classics, it's about the old and generally very bad horror films of the thirties forties and fifties. It's hosted by Vincent Price and inlcudes segments of Films like The Raven, Day of the Triffids and so forth. Somehow Scary Dark Rides (which I loved by the way) reminded me of this. I think I'll have to watch it again soon. Time to bust out the popcorn and milkduds.

The scariest dark ride I was on was at the local canival. As soon as the cars entered the inside of the setup it was completely pitch black for the whole ride.I would have felt it was a ripoff except for the fact that we kept waiting for something to pop out at us which actually made it a lot scarier than if something had.

Visit http://www.laffinthedark.com for a website devoted totally to dark rides!

Thanks for the review Bob.
Might mention that the book 'Scary Dark Rides' is free to read online... http://209.150.104.203

Doug,

Thanks for the good work!

People that know me know that I always shake while I being brave.

Life is a little spooky here at home. My wife is Dr. Collins. Our house is really called "Collinwood Manor" for you Dark Shadows fans.

Bob
Magic By Sander

Anyone interested in dark rides and other haunted attractions should check out
Haunted Attraction magazine and Hauntworld magazine... but be careful.

Haunting wreaks havoc on those October magic bookings.

Scary Dark Rides is a "must read" for those who remember the midways of the 50s, 60s and even some of the 70s.


Lucy

If you liked Scary Dark Rides, you'd probably like the "Ghostmasters" book and video about the ghost shows in movie theaters that Doug is also a fan of.

Yours,

Paul

Excellent job Doug! Thanks for sharing...

Needless to say, I love this sort of thing. The last ghost trains I rode through were at LeSourdesville Lake Amusement Park (which is closed, but may reopen next year if the owners can find a good manager), and at the old Coney Island Amusement Park in Cincinnati, Ohio (closed to prepare for the construction of Kings Island). Coney reopened as a public pool and have since added some rides; I don't know if they have a ghost train. The Cincinnati Zoo also had rides and a ghost train.

Steve

When I was a kid I LOVED that ride! We used to go to Riverside park in Mass, (or was it Conecticut?) Anyway, it brings up fond childhood memories for sure.