A haunted swing, also known as diabolic swing or witches' swing, is an

amusement ride Amusement rides, sometimes called carnival rides, are mechanical devices or structures that move people especially kids to create fun and enjoyment. Rides are often perceived by many as being scary or more dangerous than they actually are. This ...

giving visitors the

illusion An illusion is a distortion of the senses, which can reveal how the mind normally organizes and interprets sensory stimulation. Although illusions distort the human perception of reality, they are generally shared by most people. Illusions may ...

they are turning upside down by rotating the outer room independently from the platform they are seated on. While the first installations date back to the late 19th century, modern, larger scale implementations are still being manufactured by several manufacturers, as Madhouse (by

Vekoma Vekoma Rides Manufacturing is a Dutch amusement ride manufacturer. Vekoma is syllabic abbreviation of Veld Koning Machinefabriek (Veld Koning Machine Factory) which was established in 1926 by Hendrik op het Veld. History The company originally m ...

) or Mystery Swing (by Mack Rides).

Illusion

The illusion is created by separating the movement of the swing occupants sit on, and the room that surrounds them. While the swing barely moves, the room can fully rotate around the occupants. As this room is the only frame of reference visitors have, it appears as if they are turning upside down. This principle is known as vection.

History

A patent for the ride was granted in 1893 to Amariah Lake (1836-1922), an inventor from Atlantic City,

New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York (state), New York; on the ea ...

, who was also credited with the invention of several other amusement rides. The patent describes "an apparatus (...) of such nature that the occupants (...) will be subject to the illusion that they are swinging to an extreme height, or even that the swing is turning completely over". The first haunted swings were opened around 1894 at the Atlantic City Boardwalk and the 1894 Midwinter Fair in

San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...

. In Germany, the Hexenschaukel (Witches' Swing) opened later that year, a ride that is still operating today.

Ride experience

Several accounts of the ride experience at the first installations exist. The rooms were furnished with chairs, tables, curtains, paintings, a stroller, an iron safe and a piano, which were secured to the walls or ceiling. The illusion is further enhanced by an electric light disguised as a petroleum light, which would be unable to function when inverted. Visitors were seated on a swing that was hanging from a metal pipe. Sources disagree about the swing's capacity, ranging from 12 persons to 20 or even 40 or more. After visitors were seated, an attendant would give the swing a small push and leave the room. The attendant would start manually rotating the room from the outside, giving riders the illusion that the swinging was increasing. Finally, the room would fully rotate several times and come to a halt. Wood described his experience on the haunted swing at the Midwinter Fair in

. He reported several riders suffering from

dizziness Dizziness is an imprecise term that can refer to a sense of disorientation in space, vertigo, or lightheadedness. It can also refer to disequilibrium or a non-specific feeling, such as giddiness or foolishness. Dizziness is a common medical ...

and

nausea Nausea is a diffuse sensation of unease and discomfort, sometimes perceived as an urge to vomit. While not painful, it can be a debilitating symptom if prolonged and has been described as placing discomfort on the chest, abdomen, or back of the ...

Madhouse

In 1996, the illusion was reinvented in the amusement ride Villa Volta in

Efteling Efteling () is a fantasy-themed amusement park in Kaatsheuvel, the Netherlands. The attractions reflect elements from ancient myths and legends, fairy tales, fables, and folklore. The park was opened on May 31, 1952. It evolved from a nat ...

theme park in the

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

. Built by

, this ride differed in the much larger capacity (78 persons) and the fact that the swing was also actuated, instead of passively swinging. Several rides of this type have since be built by Vekoma under the name Madhouse. Since 2000, Mack Rides produces a similar ride as ''Mystery Swing''.

References

{{Reflist

External links

Haunted swing: something wicked this way rotates...
blog post showing pictures of the San Francisco haunted swing
Hexenschaukel
official site of the German haunted swing installation still operating (in German) Illusions Amusement rides