Ghost Castle (Wiener Prater)
| Ghost castle | |
|---|---|
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| Data | |
| Location | Wurstelprater , Austria |
| Type | Ghost train |
| opening | March 1933 |
| location | 48 ° 13 '0.5 " N , 16 ° 23' 53.8" E |
Geisterschloss (earlier spelling: ghost castle ) is the name of an electrically operated, stationary ghost train in the Wiener Wurstelprater . It is the oldest ghost train in Austria .
Location and history
The ghost castle was built in March 1933 by Friedrich Holzdorfer on the Wiener Prater (more precisely: on the Wurstelprater) on the former parcel 96 (today: parcel 17a). This is located on Straße des First May 4 . The ghost train fell victim to the air raids on Vienna during the war years of the Second World War , like many other attractions of the "old" Prater, and was reopened in 1948 under the same name a few meters from the original location. In 1955, the Kolnhofer showman family took over the ride, and it has been privately owned by the third generation since then. Alice Kolnhofer has been the current owner since 1981. Prominent passengers included Timothy Dalton and some actors from the Commissioner Rex series. In September 2002, around three o'clock in the morning, one of the animatronics was destroyed by a fire; arson is suspected because the system was without power at the time the fire started.
Description and operation
Before it was rebuilt, the ghost train was designed quite simply: an artificial hill with a large model castle rose above a one-story castle facade. Since 1948 the facade has been modeled on the huge complex of a medieval , gray castle. In addition to two model towers, it has numerous bay windows and balustrades on its front, which are filled with various, sometimes animatronically controlled, horror dolls. The trademark of the ghost train is a large, winged gargoyle exactly in the middle between the two towers and above the cash desk area. Since 1985 there has been an animatronic in the form of a speaking gorilla . A large, monkey-like head protrudes from the left corner tower of the facade. However, this facade design has only been in use since 1955. In 1981 a bluish creature with a white, skull-like head was added, located just below the gargoyle.
The ghost castle is operated electrically and is driven on by small, simple chaises that move individually through the ride. They travel on iron, electricity-carrying single rails. The journey takes just under four minutes and includes briefly leaving the train at three points where the carriages go into daylight and back inside.
literature
- Roland Girtler : Foray through the Wiener Wurstelprater: the colorful world of the showmen and innkeepers. Böhlau-Verlag, Vienna 2016, ISBN 978-3-205-20280-6 , pp. 118ff.
- Sacha Szabo: Intoxication and hustle and bustle: attractions at fairs and amusement parks. A sociological cultural history. transcript Verlag, Bielefeld 2015, ISBN 978-3-8394-0566-6 , p. 92.
Web links
- Video of a drive through the ghost castle on YouTube (German).
- Another onride video on YouTube (German).
Individual evidence
- ↑ "Gorilla" caught fire in front of the ghost train in the Prater . Retrieved July 18, 2020.
- ↑ Luiza Puiu: The latest craze. Internet article from October 30, 2015 on wienerzeitung.at . Retrieved July 18, 2020.