Heading over to Sportland Pier, we encounter a dark ride that is truly dark, closed, perhaps permanently,
even though rumors occasionally drift in and out that someone plans to reopen it.
This is Dr. Blood's House of Horror.
The structure has been shuttered and fenced-in for several years now, and much speculation abounds as to its origin. Some believe that it may have begun life as a Flight To Mars ride. We know that in its early years, it had a two-story haunted house facade named Horror House. Former Sportland Pier owner Gilbert Ramagosa later decided to retheme it as Dr. Blood's.
He moved the huge 'King Neptune' face from the Whirlpool rotor ride to the lift hill area. Trading crown and trident for a top hat, King Neptune assumed the identity of Dr. Blood.

This peek inside reveals a mix of antique themed ride cars and a number of stunts resembling the work of Bill Tracy, notably the chamber with cracking beams.
A version of the Tracy Swamp Ghost hovers over a car. Although similarly styled,
it differs from the skull castings almost always used for this figure.
View of track and flooring.
Another Tracy standard item: the collapsing mine beams.


Remains of a skeletal organist seated at console.
The classic Tracy saw mill stunt minus most of its victim. Outhouse stands at right, perhaps containing the 'hands in the toilet' gag.

The familiar giant skull wall ornamentation, a Tracy trademark seen in many of his rides and walk-throughs.
Textured barrel or tunnel often used in Tracy dark rides.
Although all of the stunts and scenery have the look of Tracy's work, in fact they were installed some years after Tracy's death. Fantasies and Dreams, a company formed from
the assets of Tracy's Amusement Display Associates, did the original theming of this ride
as Horror House, later renamed Dr. Blood's. The company was operated by Jim Melonic and
Tom Thaler, and continued to use Tracy's patterns and molds in manufacturing figures and decor. Thus the ride contained the above items as well as such other familiar Tracy pieces
as the giant rat, vultures and the cut-off waterfall. Jim recently told us that
they did the work on this ride for Ramagosa in the late seventies.

UPDATE
We must sadly report that Dr. Blood's House Of Horror never did reopen and was demolished by a wrecking crew during the first week of January, 2007.