Mystery Fun House facts for kids
Mystery Fun House before closing.
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| Location | Orlando, Florida |
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| Status | Abandoned |
| Opened | March 28, 1976 |
| Closed | February 18, 2001 |
| Owner | David A. Siegel (1976-present) |
| Theme | Tourist attraction |
The Mystery Fun House was a popular attraction in Orlando, Florida, USA. It was opened on March 28, 1976, with help from David A. Siegel. This fun house welcomed visitors until February 18, 2001.
It was located close to International Drive, right across from Universal Orlando Resort. Over the years, the Mystery Fun House grew. It added a laser-tag game, an arcade, and a mini golf course with dinosaurs.
The building's front part used to be a check-in area for Westgate Resorts. Today, the building is empty because of Hurricane Irma. It is currently for sale.
Contents
Exploring the Fun House Chambers
The Mystery Fun House had 15 special areas called "chambers." Each chamber offered a different fun experience.
Some of the exciting chambers included:
- A tricky mirror maze
- A rolling barrel that made you feel dizzy
- Tunnels you had to crawl through
- Spooky jail areas
- A bridge that moved as you walked
- A crooked room that made everything look strange
In its early days, the fun house also had a movie theater. There was a machine that showed holograms, which are 3D images. A disco room had a dance floor that lit up. There was even a huge "computer" that could read your handwriting and tell your fortune!
Near the end of the fun house, there was a special show. It had music, lights, and cool effects. A video of a "Wizard" was shown on a big screen.
The Magic Shop
The Mystery Fun House had its own Magic Shop. This shop was managed by a skilled magician named Dan Stapleton. Many people learned magic tricks there.
Starbase Omega: Laser Tag Fun
Starbase Omega was a thrilling laser tag game. Each player wore a special target badge and a battery pack. They also carried a "laser" gun.
To start the game, players sat on a "transporter." This machine made it feel like you were traveling to another planet. Once you arrived, you were in a large, dark room. It had bouncy carpets and a spaceship floating above. Players would shoot light beams at each other. The goal was to hit other players' reflective badges.
Mystery Mini Golf: Jurassic Putt
The mini golf course was first called Mystery Mini Golf. Later, it became Jurassic Putt. This course had 18 holes and a fun dinosaur theme. One of the holes was even inside a dark building.
Mystery Fun House Pizza and Show
In its later years, the Mystery Fun House added a pizza restaurant. This restaurant had an animatronic show. Animatronics are moving robots. The show was similar to those found at places like ShowBiz Pizza and Chuck E. Cheese's.
Movies Filmed at the Fun House
The Mystery Fun House was a unique place. Because of this, it was used as a filming location for two movies:
- The birthday party scene in the movie Parenthood (1989)
- Most of the movie Night Terror (2002)
Future of the Fun House Building
There have been rumors about the old Mystery Fun House building. Some people thought it might be completely rebuilt with new technology. As of February 2013, no official plans were filed. However, by March 2, 2013, the front of the building was repainted. It was given its original color.
In May 2015, Westgate Resorts posted job openings. They were looking for carpenters and people to install vehicle graphics for the Mystery Fun House. This made many people believe that the rebuilding of the fun house might start soon.
Images for kids
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Old Mystery Fun House building repainted March 2013
