HELLO EARTHLINGS! Waldameer’s Whacky Shack is a haunted slice of amusement history—designed by a man whose spooky genius still echoes through its creaky corridors.

Built in 1970 by legendary dark ride designer Bill Tracy, the Whacky Shack is Erie’s own funhouse of fluorescent frights and kooky illusions. Tracy, once a Macy’s float designer and circus art director, turned his flair for the theatrical into eerie ride architecture—crafting over 50 dark rides in his career, each packed with gags, groans, and glowing ghouls. But here’s the twist: Waldameer’s Whacky Shack is the last of its kind still operating, a rare survivor in a world where most of Tracy’s creations have vanished into the fog. Inside, riders twist through shark-infested bridges, black-lit skeletons, and a heartbeat-pulsing descent that feels like a B-movie dreamscape. It’s campy, creepy, and beloved by dark ride enthusiasts who treat it like a sacred relic of roadside horror.