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Even
though it's the post Labor Day season on the boardwalk
of Ocean City, Maryland, there are plenty of tourists
strolling about and stopping to indulge in food, games
and attractions on this early September evening. The
lure of the sand and beach have given way to a vast variety
of nightlife, souvenir shops, arcades, cafes,
and entertainment.
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Just
a few buildings down from the end of the boardwalk is
The Haunted House, operated by Granville Trimper. Behind
it is his amusement park, Trimper Rides, a family-owned
landmark in this famous resort city for over a hundred
years.
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Tourists
stop in their tracks as they approach The Haunted House. They’re
bewildered by the crooked clapboard, the giant bat on the balcony,
and the animated headless “barker” from Sally Corporation. As
the barker gives his spiel on the merits of riding, an unseen
organ (actually a digital sound repeater) plays funeral procession
music. How appropriate, since the 11 ride car fleet consists
of coffins on wheels!
As most of you know, this ride was designed by Bill Tracy for
the 1962 season. But what you probably didn’t know is that it
originated as a one-story ride and ran that way until 1988 when
Mr. Trimper acquired another Tracy ride, the Ghost Ship, from
the defunct Playland Park, a few miles north.
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In
early 1988, he and his staff completed the “merger”
by removing the stunts and track from The Haunted House,
leveling the building, and installed a new two-story
ride, incorporating the track, three ride cars and most
of the stunts they salvaged from the Ghost Ship. The
nautical-theme stunts, combined with the ride’s original
figures, make this attraction a true spooky seaside
home . Mr. Trimper himself designed the new floor plan
for the reborn Haunted House. But to truly appreciate
the legacy of The Haunted House, let’s go back
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| Mr.
Granville Trimper, patriarch of the Trimper Family,
owners of Trimper's Rides and Amusements in Ocean
City, Maryland since 1890. |
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prior
to 1962 when it was the Windsor Theater. Granville Trimper ran
the movie projector back then. After the movie house closed,
the building became the site of the Gay 90s nightclub and later
a roller skating rink.
But Mr. Trimper’s 1961 visit to Maryland’s former Glen Echo
Park would spark a new beginning for this boardwalk building.
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The
"Whacky Shack" architecture of Bill
Tracy abounds inside and outside the Haunted
House.
Left:
Ornately carved wooden 'Coffin Cars' lined up
in the main entry.
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Distorted wall decor and demonic portraits adorn
the left wall of the lobby.
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More
Tracy interior design is evident around the main
car queue area.
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The
inside of the ticket booth affords a skewed view
of the boardwalk and ocean front.
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