January



(2) – Granville Trimper speaks to Bill Tracy on the phone to discuss overview, cost, and convenient date for a site visit for initial plans for a dark ride.

(10) – Granville Trimper sends letter to Bill Tracy displaying continued interest in his services.

(15) – A letter was sent by Cornelia Couch, Bill Tracy’s secretary, to Granville Trimper confirming the visit date of Tuesday, January 21, 1964. Bill Tracy is to call Granville Trimper from Dagsboro, Deleware on Monday, January 20, 1964 to confirm the appointment.

(21) – Bill Tracy visits Ocean City, Maryland and speaks with Granville Trimper regarding possible location and specifications for a dark ride.



February



(6) – Bill Tracy sends letter to Granville Trimper stating he is in the process of building a model and designing preliminary plans of the dark ride. They will be available within two weeks.

(27) – Bill Tracy sends letter to Granville Trimper with proposal for a two-story dark ride and a rough preliminary blueprint layout. Letter states the building that will contain the dark ride will need to be extended 15 ft. in the rear. Letter also states the official name of the attraction as “Haunted House” for the first time.

(28) – Bill Tracy sends Granville Trimper a letter with an alternate proposal for a one-story dark ride package because of “local construction requirements” and the time involved in building a two-story building. New proposal enclosed in this package adds 23 feet to the rear of the building, and letter states Bill Tracy will attempt to accomplish a “two-story effect” by using two dummy cars on an oval track at the 9 ft. porch level (balcony).



March



(10) – Bill Tracy sends Granville Trimper an additional revised one-story proposal for Haunted House.

(30) – Bill Tracy sends Granville Trimper a letter stating that K.D. Enterprises is still on-track with the construction of the cars. Floor plan was forwarded to KDE and received the “OK” with the exception of the Undulating Corridor, which will need some modification. Displays, façade, and car bodies are all on schedule. Project “proceeding satisfactorily.”



April



Granville Trimper meets with Bill Tracy at his New Jersey office to seal the deal on Haunted House. Construction begins on Haunted House soon after and Bill Tracy and his crew remain on-site for two weeks for the install.

May



The Haunted House opens for the first time to the public.

1967

Winter



Witch Hazel, manufactured by Funni-Frite Industries, is installed in the ride.

1971

Winter



Springing Frankenstein, manufactured by Messmore-Damon, is installed in the ride.

1981

Granville Trimper purchases Bill Tracy’s Ghost Ship attraction from defunct Ocean Playland Amusement Park on 65th St. in Ocean City, Maryland. Stunts, track, cars, and parts of the façade are removed and stored in Trimper’s warehouse.

1988

Winter



Haunted House expansion phase begins. Building is converted to two stories. All Ghost Ship stunts and track are merged with current attraction.

1989

Spring



Attraction opens as a two-story ride to the general public.

1995

New animatronic barker named Count Wolf Von Vinderstein manufactured by Sally Corporation is added to the lobby.

Electric Chair stunt manufactured by Distortions Unlimited is added to the second floor in place of the Birthday Party stunt. A large shelf is built above down-hill and Birthday Party stunt is reinstalled on it.

Track zone monitoring box installed above entrance and exit doors in lobby to allow ride operator to see what zones are active.

1997

Major overhaul takes place on several stunts including Crab, Seasick Pirate, Torture Chamber, Birthday Party, Old Mill, and Wine Cellar. Stunts are repainted and broken parts are repaired.

Witch’s Cauldron and R.I.P. Grave installed as new stunts.

1998

Wine Cellar stunt removed and replaced with a giant spider web from Distortions Unlimited.

Toxic Man stunt added to second floor.

Mermaid stunt moved from original diorama to Headslinger area. Vampiress added to the Mermaid diorama.

Alien bust added near ride’s ending.

1999

Lady in the Cellar stunt removed and replaced with Corpse in a Coffin.

2001

Birthday Party stunt migrates from down-hill area to after the Upside-Down Room. Gallows “Kicking Body” added to down-hill shelf.

Borecon Trolls added to previous Wolfman area.

“Count Drac” installed near Knit Wit area.

2003

Headslinger stunt (Attic Stairs) removed from ride and replaced with “The Leaper” from ScareFactory.

2004

Haunted Paintings installed around lobby and inside of the ride.

2005

An animatronic talking head plaque called "The Guardian", manufactured by V.P. Productions, is installed above the entrance door.

Bill Tracy's original magnetic trips for stunts are removed and replaced with photoelectric sensors.

2006

Several Tracy stunts are removed from ride including Crab, Seasick Pirate, Scientist, and Frankenstein. Shaking Mummy, Dancing Coffin Rig, Giant Skull, and Reacher Bale Character are added in their places.

“Grillin Gaby” stunts installed on wall near Knit Wit.

Two major sections of the façade are removed and refurbished.

2007

Refurbishment begins on the fleet of Haunted House cars. Three cars per season are restored. Total fleet restoration set to be completed by 2011.

2009

Hologram Portraits installed on the interior of the ride in several locations.

Old Arabian Man stunt from Aladin’s Lamp is painted and installed above Old Mill stunt.

New digital sound repeaters are installed for Falling Beam and Torture Chamber.

2010

Sign, ticket booth, and front columns are repainted.

Facade Bat restored, new wire frame, new paint.

Shivering Mummy removed and replaced with new BOLT effect from Distortions Unlimited.

Bill Tracy's original Waterfall stunt was ripped out and rebuilt from the ground up. Reinstalled on 4th of July weekend.

The Headbanger was installed in the original spot where the Wine Cellar once was, right before the Waterfall.

Entire facade is repainted.

2011

The entrance and exit doors are repainted to match their original styling of rotted wood.

Three remaining cars have been refurbished over the winter and returned to the ride.

2012

Lobby floor is repainted.

Floor in first room is repainted.

Floor in Upside-Down Room is repainted.

Door of ticket booth is replaced. Door and entire ticket booth interior are repainted.

HVAC Unit above Torture Chamber and duct work above the Downhill are painted black.

Attic Rat in first room repainted.

Skull Banister and webbing repainted.

Pictures in Upside-Down Room repainted.

New display built after Upside-Down Room to include tombstones and zombie skeleton.

Angel of Death stunt added in place of Borecon Trolls.

Birthday Party outfitted with new table from Mad Scientist.

Jigsaw effect added to Old Mill scene.

Haunted Paintings added near Knit Wit.

Reacher replaces Witch.

Pop-up coffin added across from Knit Wit.

Grave Crawler added to graveyard.

Mine Shaft converted to Haunted Corridor. Haunted Paintings added to walls.

Falling Beam doors repainted.

Wave Room repainted and extended to the end doors.

Buzzard and Green Lady added to balcony exiting room.

Severed head added to Vampiress stunt.

Danger Wall added to first room after balcony reentry on the left.

Witch mechanism added with latex skeleton near Dancing Coffin Rig.

BOLT receives new red light and severed head in the window.

Torture chamber receives new door, three severed "Eyelid Kid" heads, zombie torso on backwall, and new mini flame effect under hanging victim.

Hanging Skeleton added in place of Giant skull and hands.

New set of bang doors built after Torture Chamber.

Giant Flying Devil added in Leaper Room alon with new tombstones. Pre 1988 roof has been repainted.

Bait and Switch lady added near Mermaid stunt.

New lighting in place for Gallows Hanging Victim.

Vampire moved to left corner at the downhill.

Gargoyle props added to wall at the end of downhill.

Giant Skull from Skull Waterfall added behind banister and painted.

Jail installed in previous Wine Cellar cabinet.

Waterfall is repainted and skulls are installed at the top.

2013

Breakthru effect installed in the far right corner of the lobby queue.

Wall panel from the lobby relocated to the second floor behind the Dancing Coffin stunt.

"Swing Girl" installed at the end of the Revolving Barrel.

Organ Meister installed across from the Vampiress on the second story.

Buzzard cabinet relocated to immediately following the Torture Chamber.

Mermaid torso relocated to the Cuckoo Clock area.

Wolfman modified to include red eyes- moved in the Falling Barrels room.

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