Bill Tracey was also a designer of great walk through funhouses, usually
utilizing his favorite theme of Pirates and Damsels in distress. The
"Pirates Cove" at Waldameer Park is one of three of Mr. Traceys walk
throughs left operating in this country. It is the sister attraction of the "Pirates
Cove" located in Ocean City, MD at Trimpers Amusement Park, while the third walk
through is the elegant "Wacky Shack" at Lake Winnie in Tennessee, a throw back
to one of his most popular ride through names. All three utilize
the "Water Flowing Upward" stunt, "Barrel Maze", "Tilted
Room" and several of his favorite pirate figures, all effectively presented with
blacklighting and strobe lights. Tracey built many other walk through attractions, and may
have used his ability to present such classic presentations as a selling point for his
company, "Amusement Displays", located out of Cape May Courthouse in NJ Im
sure many parks considered his ability to sell them a walk through also while either doing
refurbishment work to their dark rides, or even building new ones, while his biggest
competitor, "The Pretzel Ride Company" only concentrated on Dark Rides. |
The following is
a list of defunct Tracey walk through funhouses:
- 1. "Palace Playland", Old Orchard Beach, Maine
(Displays for Walk Through).
- 2. "Canobie Lake Park", North Salem, MA. (
Package Walk Through).
- 3. "Westview Park", Pittsburgh PA ( Package
Walk Through)
- 4. "Dorney Park", Allentown P.A. ( Package Walk
Through, Park Front).
- 5. "Rockaways Playland", Rockaway NY (Fun
House Displays).
- 6. "Hunts Pier", Wildwood NJ (Walk
Through displays)
- 7. "Marine Pier", Wildwood NJ (Displays).
- 8. "Le Sourdsville Lake Park", Middletown, OH,
now "Americana Park, (Package Walk Through).
Please note also that the "Mine Shaft" walk through
currently located at "Ghost Town" in Maggie Valley NC, also has Tracey
attributes and may be either a "Lost" Tracey walk through or utilizing several
of his stunts and designs while the very excellent "Haunted Mansion" located at
Rehobeth Beach, DE also has many similar Tracey features. Mr. Tracey also designed and
built several "Water Type" or "Mill Chute" rides which we will examine
in a future article. For now, Enthusiasts only have the few remaining walk throughs
to cherish of one of this countrys magnificent dark ride and funhouse
designers and builders. Fans of Tracey should make every effort to experience
these classic walk throughs before they too, are simply another part of Amusement History
and join the above defunct list.
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