Midnight seances, glow-in-the-dark ghosts, and a gorilla that always breaks loose—our journey into haunted-house history starts where theater met sideshow and never looked back. We trace the first British walkthroughs of the 1930s, the packed spook shows that turned movie palaces into after-hours carnivals, and the scrappy showmen who transformed empty storefronts into seasonal scream factories.

From the U.K. to postwar Japan, if you love theme parks, horror design, or the mechanics of a perfect fright, you’re in the right place.

Enjoyed the ride? Follow the show, leave a rating on your podcast app, and share this episode with a friend who loves a good scare. Your reviews help others find us.

Thanks for listening!

We'd love it if you would give us a review on your podcast platform of choice: iTunes, Spotify, etc... They're really helpful.

And get in touch and let us know about YOUR Plus-Ups for the attractions we've talked about! We'd love to tell them on the air.

Come visit us on Bluesky, Mastodon, Instagram, or whatever social media you like. Just look up Lowdown on the Plus-Up and you'll probably find us. Or drop us a note to comments@lowdown-plus-up.com and let us know any questions or comments about how YOU would like to plus-something-up!

We are a Boardwalk Times production.
Boardwalk Times, https://boardwalktimes.net/
Boardwalk Times store, https://boardwalktimes.store .

Halloween didn’t just arrive at theme parks; it was engineered, rehearsed, and unleashed from a fog-soaked street in Buena Park. We dive into the wild origin story of Knott’s Scary Farm, tracing the DNA from mid-century horror hosts to the first freestanding mazes, the invention of roaming monsters, and the culture of sliders sparking their way through Calico. It’s a saga packed with scrappy ingenuity, late-night TV legend, and a berry (boysen) farm that accidentally became the Godfather of haunt season.

We unpack the rise of Sinister Seymour’s razor-edged hosting, the disco-chaos of Wolfman Jack (including a gloriously unlicensed “Star Wars” detour), and the polished power of Elvira, whose partnership with John Paragon made legendary Vegas-style Camp. From the early witch’s gallows that genuinely chilled to The Hanging’s later pop-culture satire, we examine where tone elevates fear and where it dilutes it. Then we step inside the design shop: Dominion of the Dead’s monochrome beauty, classic illusions like Spidora, and a philosophy that favors original concepts over IP—teaching generations of builders to craft story with light, sound, and movement.

We also wrestle with the boundaries. Trapped’s extreme interactivity brought waivers, safe words, and ethical questions that tested the Knott’s ethos. By the end, you’ll see how Knott’s Scary Farm didn’t just influence Universal and Six Flags—it gave seasonal events a blueprint for scale, artistry, and atmosphere.

If this journey made you feel the fog rolling in, subscribe, share with a fellow haunt fan, and leave a review with your favorite Scary Farm memory or maze. What should come back: a serious, cinematic set piece or a new master of ceremonies to lead the night?

Thanks for listening!

We'd love it if you would give us a review on your podcast platform of choice: iTunes, Spotify, etc... They're really helpful.

And get in touch and let us know about YOUR Plus-Ups for the attractions we've talked about! We'd love to tell them on the air.

Come visit us on Bluesky, Mastodon, Instagram, or whatever social media you like. Just look up Lowdown on the Plus-Up and you'll probably find us. Or drop us a note to comments@lowdown-plus-up.com and let us know any questions or comments about how YOU would like to plus-something-up!

We are a Boardwalk Times production.
Boardwalk Times, https://boardwalktimes.net/
Boardwalk Times store, https://boardwalktimes.store .

Ray Bradbury had a fascination with themed entertainment since he first attended the 1939 New York World's Fair, but was it merely as a casual observer or did he actually get his hands dirty?
We invited noted Ray Bradbury scholar, Dr. Phil Nichols, to talk about it all: Ray's relationship with Walt Disney, his fascination with urban design, his work on EPCOT Center, and even how Ray might very well be responsible for the concept of a food court.
We even got to hear about some attraction concepts that Bradbury worked on but were never built.

Join us for the straight dope on the brilliant Ray Bradbury!

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If you'd like to listen to any of Phil's terrific podcasts - Bradbury 100 or Science Fiction 101 - you can find information on them here: bradburymedia.co.uk

He also has his YouTube channel, Bradbury 101, right here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLKLDIIgbxgIsUjaY_4IG90yvfaO9wWIRf

Thanks for listening!

Thanks for listening!

We'd love it if you would give us a review on your podcast platform of choice: iTunes, Spotify, etc... They're really helpful.

And get in touch and let us know about YOUR Plus-Ups for the attractions we've talked about! We'd love to tell them on the air.

Come visit us on Bluesky, Mastodon, Instagram, or whatever social media you like. Just look up Lowdown on the Plus-Up and you'll probably find us. Or drop us a note to comments@lowdown-plus-up.com and let us know any questions or comments about how YOU would like to plus-something-up!

We are a Boardwalk Times production.
Boardwalk Times, https://boardwalktimes.net/
Boardwalk Times store, https://boardwalktimes.store .