Puzzling World facts for kids
 |
|
 |
|
| Founded | 1973 |
|---|---|
| Founder | Stuart Landsborough |
| Headquarters | Wānaka, New Zealand |
Puzzling World is a super fun place to visit near Wānaka, New Zealand. It started as a simple maze in 1973. Over time, it grew into an amazing spot filled with cool optical illusions and tricky rooms. It even has the world's first 3-D maze! Puzzling World is famous for its Leaning Tower of Wanaka and its unique Roman-style bathrooms. By 2020, over 4 million people had visited, with about 200,000 visitors each year.
Contents
Discovering Puzzling World's History
Puzzling World first opened in 1973 in Wānaka, New Zealand. It began as a single-level wooden maze. Stuart and Jan Landsborough created this unique park. They even had to sell their house to get enough money to start it! In its first year, 17,600 people came to visit.
A puzzle center was added in 1979. Three years later, a second level was built onto the maze. The park kept growing and adding new things. The famous Leaning Tower of Wanaka, with its backwards-running clock, was added in 1999. Stuart Landsborough believed that attracting adults, not just kids, helped the park become popular early on.
In 2010, Puzzling World started a big expansion project. It cost $2.5 million! This project included cool sculptures made by local artists. Some of these artists were from Wētā Workshop, known for their work on Lord of the Rings movies.
Since 2004, Stuart's daughter, Heidi, and her husband, Duncan Spear, have been running Puzzling World. They continue to welcome many visitors each year.
In 2016, Puzzling World won a top award at the Ignite Wanaka Business Awards. It was praised for being "high-performing, unique and sustainable." Another part of the park, the SculptIllusion Gallery, won a national award in 2014.
During a small earthquake in Wanaka in 2015, some visitors thought it was part of the park's illusions! People had to leave the building for safety. Puzzling World also helps support the Junior Challenge Wanaka, a kids' triathlon event.
Amazing Attractions to Explore
Puzzling World is packed with incredible sights and mind-bending challenges. Here are some of the main attractions you can enjoy.
The SculptIllusion Gallery
The SculptIllusion Gallery opened in December 2012. It's a huge room full of amazing illusions. You'll see impossible objects, paintings that trick your eyes, and pictures that change depending on how you look at them.
Some sculptures include a tap that looks like it's floating in the air. There's also a bench that seems to float! You can also find cool architectural features like a stone carpet and a living wall. These were all made by talented New Zealand artists.
The gallery also has illusions by Jerry Andrus. These include Crazy Nuts, where nuts and bolts seem to go through each other. There's also The Magic Square, a fun logic puzzle. One area shows "Un-useless" inventions. These are funny and confusing creations by artists from all over the world.
The Leaning Tower of Wanaka
Just like its name says, the Leaning Tower of Wanaka is a tower that leans! It looks like it's balancing on just one corner. The whole tower leans at a very steep angle of 53 degrees. It's a great spot for a funny photo!
Optical Illusion Rooms
The Illusion Rooms are designed to make you feel like you're inside a trick! Besides the SculptIllusion Gallery, there's the "Hologram Hall." This room has many different holographic images.
The "Tilted House" is built at a 15-degree angle. Inside, water seems to flow uphill, which is a real head-scratcher! The "Hall of Following Faces" is an octagonal room. It has faces on the walls that seem to watch you as you move. These are hollow masks created by artist Derek Ball.
There's also an Ames Room. This room plays tricks with perspective. You might see yourself looking much taller or shorter depending on where you stand!
The 3D Maze
Puzzling World has a huge maze that's also in 3D! To finish the maze, you need to find four colored corner towers. After that, you find your way to the middle courtyard. Don't worry, there are emergency doors if you get really stuck!
The Psychic Challenge
For many years, Puzzling World offered a big cash prize. They would give money to anyone who could prove they had psychic powers. To win, a person needed to use their powers to find a special hidden item.
When the challenge started, the prize was $50,000 New Zealand Dollars. People had to find two halves of a note hidden within 5 kilometers of the building. Later, the search area became smaller. In 2006, the prize doubled to $100,000! To take part, a person had to pay $1000. This was to make sure only serious people tried.
No one ever claimed the prize. The challenge officially ended in July 2022.
