Updates

We recently discovered a photo dating back to 1993 of Tracy’s “Casa de los Sustos” (Scary House) dark ride at Chapultepec Park in Mexico City. The two-story ride opened in 1964 and closed in 1994, and was designed and constructed during the same time period as Trimper’s Haunted House in Ocean City, MD. Many similarities in the ride’s façade styling are evident, but unlike Trimper’s Haunted House, this ride originally used an Allan Herschell ride system that was comprised of 10 cars. Later in the ride’s history, the ride system was removed and it was converted to a walk-thru attraction with live actors and new theming. Given the time period, simple logic tells us this attraction likely included many similar stunts to Trimper’s Haunted House, West View’s Haunted House, and Hunt’s Whacky Shack, including the Knit Wit, Old Mill, Mad Scientist, and Attic Stairs, but it’s impossible to tell for certain at this point. Very little about this attraction is known or recorded but it remains one of our biggest curiosities. 

Exciting news to share tonight in the spirit of Bill Tracy’s artistry living on in personal collections for future generations to learn from and enjoy! Yesterday, Bill Tracy’s “Knit Wit” stunt from Whacky Shack on Hunt’s Pier in Wildwood, New Jersey got delivered to its final destination in San Bernardino, California after traveling coast-to-coast and is now in the hands of lucky Tracy fan Albert R. who purchased the stunt with intensions of restoring and displaying.

The stunt is original to Whacky Shack’s 1964 opening in Wildwood, and was one of Bill Tracy’s most famous works as she was featured in many of his early attractions including Kooky Kastle at Paragon Park in Nantasket Beach in Hull, Massachusetts, and continues to be featured at Trimper’s Haunted House in Ocean City, Maryland. Alfred Hitchcock’s 1960 film “Psycho” and featured character “Mother” is rumored to be the inspiration for this stunt, as it bears a striking resemblance from the film in both design and movement. The stunt is in excellent condition considering its age and many years in storage, and we couldn’t be happier that it’s now in the best of hands. Best wishes to Albert and his group on the restoration and curation of one of Bill Tracy’s most memorable characters. More updates to come as they are available.

Enjoy a rare photo of a parade float entitled “Noah’s Ark” that Bill Tracy was constructing for the Mary’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in his New Jersey workshop, circa 1956. In 1953, Macy’s department stores contracted Bill Tracy to design and build window displays and floats for use in their famous parade in NYC, and they had a unique business relationship for many years before he eventually separated from the organization. Back then, Tracy was in business as the Tracy Parade and Display Company.

It’s interesting to note that Tracy’s close ties with Macy’s early on is a primary reason he used so many different types of mannequins in his early dark ride projects. He simply had easy access to them and it was cheaper to use a mannequin than sculpt a new mold from scratch.

As we watch the parade this morning, it’s important to remember that Tracy had a large influence in Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade early on, and his creativity and ingenuity is undoubtedly still present in the spirit of the impressive parade float lineup that owns our television screens on Thanksgiving year after year.

A rare Tracy catalog photo featuring two of his works still in tact and on location at Trimper’s Haunted House in Ocean City, Maryland. The lady was originally titled “Jungle Jane” in his catalog but ended up being the “Damsel in Distress” in his Torture Chamber stunt at Trimper’s. Behind her on the left, you can see the torso and legs of the hanging victim, also a part of the Torture Chamber at Trimper’s. Amazing that 61+ years later, Tracy’s creations live on for all of us to enjoy while so many others have been destroyed by fire, neglect, or abuse through the decades.

An early western-themed stunt of Tracy’s, circa 1962. As the cowboy drank from a bottle, water flowed out of his ears. The perspective case/cabinet featured detailed scenery with fiberglass walls and floor. A submersible pump and galvanized pan underneath to capture the water were included. Featured below are a few other “Western Bar” scenes using the same or similar molds. Several western stunts were installed in Tracy’s “River Boat” attraction at Crescent Park in Riverside, RI., which opened in 1962 and closed in 1979.

It’s been said through the years by Bill Tracy’s employees and clients that he had a unique approach to his projects when it came to cost and budget. Often, he’d recommend up to 1/2 of the total cost of an attraction be allocated for the exterior façade and loading area, and the remainder for interior stunt fabrication, scenery, and ride system. This myth rings true in many ways as his towering facades and three-dimensional figures have made indelible impressions on ride-goers through the years making his attractions unmistakable. Back when typical amusement park dark rides, funhouses, and tunnels of love featured simple, two-dimensional exterior fabrication with little to no WOW factor, Tracy always made a point to make his attractions literally jump off of the midway causing all passers-by to stop and stare in wonder and amazement. The bright colors and detailed fabrication work were often of high caliber Disney quality and something straight out of a movie set, and Tracy prided himself on high ride patronage and success as a result.

Tracy’s ride façade for Orient Express on Million Dollar Pier in Atlantic City, NJ was a prime example of his masterful façade work. The grandeur of the façade and three-dimensional dragon of Orient Express are iconic examples of why Tracy’s builds were unique to him and revolutionary in the amusement industry. Orient Express opened in 1962 and operated through the 1981 summer season until it was destroyed by fire along with the rest of the Million Dollar Pier in October of that year.

Check out a new photo recently discovered featuring the façade of Tracy’s House of Seven Gables attraction at Canobie Lake Park in Salem, New Hampshire. Beautiful artistry!

Check out a few West View Park advertisements and media placements for Tracy’s attractions including opening day for his Haunted House in June 1963, and another promoting the opening of his Davey Jones Locker attraction a year later in June 1964. Five years after Tracy’s Haunted House opened at West View, another snippet was included in the Pittsburgh Post Gazette featuring a young man inside the ride in front of Tracy’s Torture Chamber. It’s interesting to discover how local media outlets worked to promote Tracy’s attractions in support of a park’s success way back when.

Celebrate this Friday in true “Tracy Style” with an amazing full-page ad from a June 1964 issue of the Millville Daily featuring Tracy’s Pirate Ship Skua on Hunt’s Pier in Wildwood, New Jersey! Skua was built in 1962 and was a walk-thru attraction featuring a very nautical and pirate-themed experience. It would close in 1989 but was one of four notable Tracy attractions on Hunt’s Pier, a pier sometimes coined as a “mini Disney” back in the day for its wide variety of rides and themed attractions.

Tracy, shown far right on the deck of Skua in the photo below, was very proud of this attraction as it was the first of its kind in his company’s portfolio.

A little bit of casual research can really open up a can of worms! I’m still looking in to this, but it looks like we’ll need to add another amusement park to Tracy’s list for containing projects of his!

Rocky Glen Park was a country park in Moosic, Pennsylvania, dating back to 1886. Based on my recent findings, it looks like the owner of that park, Ben Sterling, commissioned Tracy and his company—Amusement Display Associates—to upgrade and streamline attractions of the park over a five-year period beginning in 1969. One of Tracy’s first projects was presumably re-theming the park’s “Laff in the Dark” ride to “The Swamp.” Tracy had also completed a “Swamp” attraction at Canobie Lake Park in Salem, New Hampshire (photo below) in the mid 60’s, and that façade styling was familiar to that of his work recently completed at Rocky Glen. What seals the deal, for me at least, is the giant monster atop Rocky Glen’s Swamp, because it’s nearly identical to the Tracy monster on the façade of “Space Monster” located at Astro Needle Park in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina (façade photo below).

Quick research shows the attraction may have only lasted until the end of the 1971 season, when the park was rethemed to Ghost Town styling which included western facades and buildings. It’s possible, based on Tracy’s earlier scenery work, that he was involved with that construction as well. That confirmation has yet to be unearthed.

In the photo below, Tracy can be seen standing in front of his newly-rethemed Swamp attraction (he’s on the far right) along with Ben Sterling and other associates. Strangely, the article in which the photo was used captions Tracy as being named “Lee Tracy,” but I’m convinced it was a typo because his company name is correct, the façade matches his other work, and the man standing on the right is clearly Mr. Tracy based on other photos we have of him.

Piecing Tracy’s career and projects together has always been a labor of love. More to come!

It’s awesome to hear from fellow Tracy fans who, like me, are always trying to “connect the dots” when it comes to Tracy’s rides, his stunts, and his mindset throughout his career. Check out a super neat pic contributed by Camden B. and taken by Jay L. featuring Tracy’s Haunted House at West View Park in the 1970s! It’s equally neat to see just how much this façade matches Tracy’s illustration concept on the cover of his 1963 catalog for “The Haunted House — A Two Story Darkride.”

Great beach weather we’re having, and Tracy would concur as he’s shown here with a few of his popular stunts from yester-year. This “Beach Scene” was part of his Davey Jones package dark ride, available for the first time in 1964 and included a tram rail overhead track system that was supposedly under construction at an East Coast park in ‘64.

Bill Tracy makes a phone call, circa 1968. Interestingly, a few props from this photo actually made it to Waldameer’s Whacky Shack and can still be seen there today. The calendar featured here is from the Matlack Funeral Home, which was near Tracy’s warehouse at the time at Cape May Court House, NJ.

A throwback to April 2019 when Bill Tracy’s Pirates Cove walk-thru at Trimper’s Rides in Ocean City, MD received a new front entrance and lobby area. The project was a major undertaking and required Tracy’s giant “Parade Float” Pirate and Sally’s animatronic Parrots display being completely removed in order to replace the front roof/balcony and associated supporting members. It turned out great and was the key to allow the attraction, one of only two left of its kind in the entire world, to live on for many more generations to come.

Let’s go back to 2010 when Randy Skalos, curator of Waldameer’s Whacky Shack and Pirates Cove attractions for now 16 years, was in the preliminary stages of examining Tracy’s famous Drunk Butler/Wine Cellar stunt in preparation for his much needed complete overhaul of the stunt. Hard to believe it’s already been over 14 years!

Much deserved self-proclaimed accolades, courtesy of a 1968 catalog.

Check out some throwback pics of original stunts from Bill Tracy’s Phantasmagoria dark ride at Bell’s Amusement Park in Tulsa, OK, very shortly before they were loaded on to a tractor trailer and shipped across the country to Ocean City, MD, to be incorporated in to Trimper’s Haunted House in 2012. Tracy’s Phantasmagoria opened in 1973 and closed in 2006, but these vintage Tracy pieces can still be seen today, in one form or another, in Trimper’s Haunted House which is celebrating its 60th birthday this year. More on these pieces and their installation later.

Check out a pre-season photo from Tracy’s Pirate’s Cove at Waldameer Park in Erie, PA courtesy of 16-year curator Randy Skalos who oversees both Pirate’s Cove and Whacky Shack at Waldameer. This particular photo was taken atop Pirate’s Cove on the catwalk!