Do you believe in magic?

Houdini – The Great Escape at Six Flags New England

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Attraction designers often draw on magic, sometimes taking inspiration from illusions that were first staged centuries ago. For example, the apparitions in the ballroom scene of Disney’s Haunted Mansion and the appearance of Wizarding World characters in the queue for Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey are just two examples of the Pepper’s ghost effect that is frequently used in attractions and can be traced back to the 1500s. Similarly, the haunted swing, an attraction that first appeared in the late 1800s and was presented as an illusion to dumbfounded audiences, continues to inspire today’s designers.

Vekoma, the Dutch ride manufacturer, builds what it calls the Mad House–a modern-day version of the haunted swing. There are about 30 of the odd, intriguing attractions operating, including a handful of similar ones developed by rival manufacturer, Mack Rides. Most of the Mad Houses are located in Europe, but there are three in the U.S., including Houdini – The Great Escape at Six Flags New England in Massachusetts. It’s part mechanical ride and part show, with a heavy dose of illusion. Fittingly, the Six Flags attraction is themed to magic. If you’ve never experienced a Mad House, it’s unlike anything else on the midway. Let me try to explain.

The entrance to Houdini – The Great Escape (Six Flags Entertainment Corporation)

The attraction is located in the suitably retro Opera House at Crackaxle Canyon, the Old West-themed land at Six Flags. The signage is quite unassuming; I’d imagine visitors often walk past the building without realizing what awaits within.

Guests who do wander in find themselves in the gothic lair of Harry Houdini, the legendary escape artist and magician who died in the 1920s. The pre-show takes place in his library (thankfully, despite its vintage, it is air conditioned), and houses props from his act, including the water tank from which he famously escaped. Old-timey black & white footage of a young Houdini is projected onto the library’s walls. At the conclusion of the newsreel, the room darkens. The candelabras begin flickering, the fireplace mysteriously glows, and maniacal, disembodied laughs ricochet in the chamber.

Old props from Houdini’s stage act are on display in his library. (Six Flags Entertainent Corporation)

Houdini – The Great Escape is not exactly at the level of Disney or Universal, but the attraction is surprisingly well done and a welcome respite from the coasters and other thrill rides at Six Flags. Its effects and elements are also well maintained, considering it first opened in 1999.

A voice summons Houdini’s spirit and implores him to perform his greatest feat, an escape from the great beyond. As the pre-show ends, the narrator intones, “What you think you see will not be what it appears.” With that foreshadowing of a warning, the doors to the parlor open, and guests shuffle in to participate in a spooky seance.

The ride vehicle on a similar Mad House in Italy (Vekoma)

Two sets of two rows of benches face one another along the outer edges of the room. The wooden benches look like church pews. Except in this bizarro house of worship, there are also lap bars that pin worshipers into place. (Actual churches may want to consider trading out their seating for these Vekoma models and only release the lap bars of those congregants who fill the collection plate.)

Once all passengers are secured, the ride begins. Guests feel an odd combination of mild positive and negative G-forces, although they appear to be perfectly still. The forces intensify, and then the room starts slowly rotating to and fro around the benches. Finally, the room flips upside down; or have the passengers flipped upside down? It is a mighty strange sight–and sensation–to appear to be motionless but to feel movement in an inverted room. The disconnect is disconcerting and kinda wild. So, what’s going on?

As the video from Dark Ride Database above shows, the illusion takes place inside a large, rotating drum. Both the drum and the gondola platform that serves as the ride vehicle revolve on the same pivot point but can do so independently. At first, the gondola and the drum swing back and forth in unison, thereby delivering G-forces, but appearing to be motionless from the passengers’ perspective. Later, the drum inverts and swings to and fro in tandem with the gondola giving guests the illusion that either they or the room around them has somehow flipped upside down.

Appearances by the spirit of Houdini in the topsy-turvy room complete the illusion. This is an old trick that holds up quite well.

Mad Houses can also be found at Six Flags Great Adventure in New Jersey and Clark’s Bears in New Hampshire. The most recent one, Haunted House Monster Party, opened in 2019 at Legoland Windsor in England.

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Have you ever experienced a Mad House? Were you aware of them? Would you like to try one?