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Ghost Hole at Trimper's Rides and Amusements - 1990s

OVERVIEW


The Ghost Hole, a portable darkride that was a staple at Trimper Rides & Amusements for many years, offered a two-minute ride full of popup-style stunts and graffiti-style artwork destined to make any summer visitors turn their heads.

Ghost Hole, formerly named “Geister Hohle”, was a German darkride that sat on Trimper’s side street beside the Matterhorn for nearly a decade before it was sold to Coney Island Amusements in April of 1999. During spring of that year, Trimper crews transported the attraction in trailers to Coney Island and assembled the ride per their contractual agreement.

The ride was disassembled in the fall and reassemble in the spring while at Trimpers in an effort to preserve the attraction from the winter salt air and to prevent rust. Although displaying a rather impressive and overwhelming façade, the attraction nicely fit into two small trailers when disassembled; one trailer for the stunts and cars, and the other for the skeleton steel, façade panels, side and back panels, and canvas roof.



TRACK LAYOUT OVERVIEW


The ride consisted primarily of zigzags after inclining to a small balcony then declining back to ground level. Summertime visits offered a unique experience filled with the aroma of canvas thanks to the attraction’s solid black canvas roof, which was tied down to the attraction’s side panels by rope. The main dividing wall in the attraction which separated the decline from the zigzag area was also nothing more than a solid piece of black canvas.


Please note: Layout may not be exactly proportioned. It is only approximate



STUNTS


The stunts were quite primitive in nature when Ghost Hole sat on Trimper property, and consisted mainly of popup stunts using transistorized sirens and loud buzzers to scare the unsuspecting patrons during their two-minute adventure. Even though the ride was portable, the Trimpers still made the ride a pleasant one, filling the gaps with worthwhile stunts while making a constant effort to purchase new props every few years to keep the content fresh.

The maintenance door that was entered when opening or closing the attraction was located on the front-center of the ride and was locked from the outside. The main entrance and exit of the ride, although clearly accessible to anyone walking by off-hours, was locked from the inside using deadbolts and steel bars.



FACTS


  • The Ghost Hole included a small balcony on the left which featured a skeleton pushing a carriage filled with a corpse.
  • While at Trimpers, Ghost Hole was 5 tickets to ride.
  • While at Trimpers, a scene of three decomposing corpses sitting at a dinner table was displayed on your right as you inclined at the ride’s beginning.
  • Ghost Hole was a maintenance headache for the Trimpers, causing them to sell it.
  • It was rumored that before selling Ghost Hole, the Trimpers considered retiring Aladins Lamp Funhouse and putting the attraction in its place.


VIDEO


(Video) Ghost Hole Facade - a video posted on YouTube of the new and improved Ghost Hole facade in Coney Island.

(Video) Ghost Hole Facade 2 - a video shot in 2007 posted on YouTube of the new and improved Ghost Hole facade in Coney Island.

(Video) Ghost Hole Interior - a video shot of the Ghost Hole interior in Coney Island. This video has foul language, and what shot by people who did not appreciate the ride's value, obviously.

(Video) Out of both ends - a stunt in front of Ghost Hole in Coney Island. I don't really think I should say anymore...

Special thanks to Scott Hudson, manager of the Haunted House, for contributing his rare photographs of the Ghost Hole assembly.





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