NationStates Jolt Archive

It was always been a great interest to me to create a classic fun house. See, way back before law suits and insurance companies sucked all the fun out of life, fun houses were much rowdier. Even a bit dangerous. Spinning rooms, rotating drums would spin VERY fast. trap doors might drop you down slides to other rooms, or out of the fun house. Bumps and bruises were commonplace. Even the occasional broken wrist or ankle. Serious injuries or fatalities were extremely rare. But once insurance and legal action grew in popularity in the fifties, the fun house grew more and more tame until it became totally inane and uninteresting as they few survivng ones are now.

I remember reading about one Fun House, I believe on Coney Island that had a circular room with a conical floor. That came to a point about six or eight feet higher than along the sides. So it was a shallow ramp. This room spun very rapidly, and people could play 'King of The Hill in it, trying to stay in the middle on the peak of the cone as long as possible. The controller also had a button that could send an electrical current to 'zap' the King if he stayed up there too long. Minor injuries were fairly common.

Imagine something like that at an amusement park now! No frickin' way!

Now me? This fascinates me! I'd love something like this! And I think a lot of other people would too. I could imagine buying one of the giant old mill buildings that just sit around gathering dust with no purpose of use and converting it into a multi-story ultra fun house and amusement center. But with bite. This would be a rough and tumble, classic styled fun house. Full or traps and pranks and spinning rooms.

Of course, there's the question of law suits. Obviously, If something like this were open to the public, there would need to be medical personnel on site. And very strong liability waivers. Are liability waivers enough? Some people sue anyway. Some even win. But I think good legal cast-iron documentation could do.

If not, it would probably have to be a private 'by invitation only' fun house.

What do you think?

Yes! Yes! Yes!

That would be cooler than cool!

It would be neat to have an immersive experience and not spend life behind a polite velvet rope.

I'm in, pal! :D

If you're serious, I'll grant you 5 acres of my land to build it on and have my lawyer draft up liability waivers and such (very easy in Texas).

It would rock. I'm in!

Dude, if I were an adult...I'd fly to wherever you are (so long as your in the U.S.) just to AT LEAST check it out.

And then to claim my lawsuit. :D

If you're serious, I'll grant you 5 acres of my land to build it on and have my lawyer draft up liability waivers and such (very easy in Texas).

It would rock. I'm in!

I'm never serious. But I have a strong desire to see one of these. And it looks like I'll have to build it myself. :)

Texas sounds like a good place for something like this. Connecticut, despite all the lovely huge empty buildings is the Insurance Capital of the World. Bad place for raucous fun. *nod*

I'm never serious. But I have a strong desire to see one of these. And it looks like I'll have to build it myself. :)


I'll even help build it ... but only if I get to play the oddball Willie Wonka type guy whom everyone knows I'm in the house somewhere, but can only say that a friend of a friend's cousin once saw me walk swiftly past a doorway in a bathrobe and clutching a bowl of what may have been Fruit Loops.

Issurance companies and lawsuits are out of control in this country, with that in mind I think this idea is pure genius. Stick it to the idiot plantiffs and have a ton of fun doing it. :D

I'll even help build it ... but only if I get to play the oddball Willie Wonka type guy whom everyone knows I'm in the house somewhere, but can only say that a friend of a friend's cousin once saw me walk swiftly past a doorway in a bathrobe and clutching a bowl of what may have been Fruit Loops.

You can be the 'lost guest' that never came out again, and is still wandering the fun house, lost and wanting company to join you in your insane wanderings. :)

It was always been a great interest to me to create a classic fun house. See, way back before law suits and insurance companies sucked all the fun out of life, fun houses were much rowdier. Even a bit dangerous. Spinning rooms, rotating drums would spin VERY fast. trap doors might drop you down slides to other rooms, or out of the fun house. Bumps and bruises were commonplace. Even the occasional broken wrist or ankle. Serious injuries or fatalities were extremely rare. But once insurance and legal action grew in popularity in the fifties, the fun house grew more and more tame until it became totally inane and uninteresting as they few survivng ones are now.

I remember reading about one Fun House, I believe on Coney Island that had a circular room with a conical floor. That came to a point about six or eight feet higher than along the sides. So it was a shallow ramp. This room spun very rapidly, and people could play 'King of The Hill in it, trying to stay in the middle on the peak of the cone as long as possible. The controller also had a button that could send an electrical current to 'zap' the King if he stayed up there too long. Minor injuries were fairly common.

Imagine something like that at an amusement park now! No frickin' way!

Now me? This fascinates me! I'd love something like this! And I think a lot of other people would too. I could imagine buying one of the giant old mill buildings that just sit around gathering dust with no purpose of use and converting it into a multi-story ultra fun house and amusement center. But with bite. This would be a rough and tumble, classic styled fun house. Full or traps and pranks and spinning rooms.

Of course, there's the question of law suits. Obviously, If something like this were open to the public, there would need to be medical personnel on site. And very strong liability waivers. Are liability waivers enough? Some people sue anyway. Some even win. But I think good legal cast-iron documentation could do.

If not, it would probably have to be a private 'by invitation only' fun house.

What do you think?

That would be GREAT! I use to LOVE those things! But you would most likely need a release of liability statement that would make War and Peace look like a paperback book of bad poetry! :)

That would be GREAT! I use to LOVE those things! But you would most likely need a release of liability statement that would make War and Peace look like a paperback book of bad poetry! :)

Sign here, and here, and here, and here. Initial here. Sign here. Attach a letter from your congressman here. References here. Sign here and here. Fill these out in triplicate, noting all health and mental anomalies. Doctor's signature there. Next of kin signs here. Attach photo of you in compromising position for blackmail purposes here. Sign and date here. And here...and here...and here... :(

Sign here, and here, and here, and here. Initial here. Sign here. Attach a letter from your congressman here. References here. Sign here and here. Fill these out in triplicate, noting all health and mental anomalies. Doctor's signature there. Next of kin signs here. Attach photo of you in compromising position for blackmail purposes here. Sign and date here. And here...and here...and here... :(

Hahahahahahaha! VERY good! I loved it! :D

What sort or things should my fun house have?

Should it be maze-like? Should it be possible to become lost in it? Trapped? Perhaps a trapdoor with a chute leading to a detention chamber. snare traps?

I'd like to see these things. I'd also be interesting in: Modular walls and sections so the maze could be changed around. Player participation. Maybe there could be control chambers in parts of the house overlooking others. These control chambers could allow people to fire water cannons or drop buckets of mud on unsuspecting people in other parts of the maze.

paint cannons traps that shoot water-based paintball style paint at people.

Maybe a dueling chamber where two people fight on a tilting and spinning platform over a vat of mud.

You should do it like a classic fun house.
As In: It should look like a big wacky house.

One room could have the traditional mirrors and glass walls, and one room could have the stairs that suddenly go flat, and the basement could be all spooky and stuff...

I need an elephant ear.

I'll add some of my obsessions to your mad and wonderful dream:

Adult size funland/habitrail, ball chamber, etc.

And-I want to collect used animatronics from places like old Chuck-E-Cheeses and such. I also have an obsession with collecting old carnival rides. I salute you, and wish good luck. Fuck the public, build it for yourself and your friends and don't tell the punk ass public. Screw those touchy bastards.

You should do it like a classic fun house.
As In: It should look like a big wacky house.

One room could have the traditional mirrors and glass walls, and one room could have the stairs that suddenly go flat, and the basement could be all spooky and stuff...

I need an elephant ear.

Groovy. :) Maybe it could even be liveable!