Home > Archive

DOCUMENTS

Ride Propsals generally outlined the attraction’s dimentions, contents and pricing in an effort to eliminate ambiguity between the manufacturer and the park owner. You better sit down folks, the original Bill Tracy proposal for The Haunted House just might make you turn inside-out!

Correspondence between Bill Tracy and Granville Trimper were plentiful during the time of proposal writing and general ride agreements. Enjoy viewing original business letters from Tracy regarding the construction of Trimper’s Haunted House.

Ride Blueprints were crucial in the execution of Trimper’s Haunted House. Now, you can view the original floor layouts, façade drawings, and mechanical drawings of features inside of the attraction.

CATALOGS

Outdoor Dimensional Display Co., Inc. was Bill Tracy’s first company, and was formed around 1960. Many stunts inside of Trimper’s Haunted House can be seen in the ODD publications of the early 60’s, and this company was inevitably responsible for the construction of the original Haunted House, built in 1964.

Amusement Display Associates, Inc., the new name for Bill Tracy’s company, was developed around 1965 and was backed by the famous Messmore & Damon display company that designed and built full-size mechanical amusement displays used world-wide.

Funni-Frite Industries, which was created in 1963, is a company that manufactured dark ride and funhouse stunts, as well as amusement attractions & portable walk-thru amusements. Although their stunts were a bit more juvenile in the beginning than those of Bill Tracy, you may recognize some of these stunts as being inhabitants of the Haunted House.

Messmore & Damon, Inc. was established in 1914 and was a manufacturer of many dark ride stunts and props in the 1960s, and supplied many fairs and other amusement venues with pieces to display. Although they tend to be best-known for their ‘Haunted House’ stunts, they also created animatronic animals and themed figures.

Unique Design, Inc. was formed in 1969 by Edward D. Hilbert and was based in Baltimore, Maryland. The company specialized in producing decorative scenery and stunts for the amusement park industry, most notably dark rides and themed attractions. UD was known in the industry for its skilled craftsman, sculptors, and graphic artists and was thought highly of by many of the East Coast’s largest amusement parks. One of the company's most well-known jobs was the re-theming of Kennywood's Old Mill in 1974.