samson

D r a c u l a ' s C a s t l e

Despite the castle-like façade featuring Dracula himself, and the animatronic owl in the queue warning you about the famous vampire, very little on the ride itself actually has anything to do with him. There are several blacklit scenes, pictured here, featuring skeletons, rats, and monsters, which are Bill Tracy designs. (It's one of only a few remaining Bill Tracy dark rides remaining operational in the US). One of my favorite scenes is skull rock, with giant bats swirling around it, but I've yet to manage a non-blurry photo. Other scenes and stunts were provided by the park itself. One that deserves special mention is the gorilla which leans foward, threatening guests. It originates from the park's defunct fun house, and is based on a mold that had been used for mechanical gorillas since the 30s.

You can find out more about the ride by following this link to the Lagoon History Project. They also have a page dedicated to the gorilla.

The Bill Tracy Project has more information about the designer.