Madhouse



The Madhouse is a rare dark ride that uses extreme engineering and careful synchronization of several elements to give an illusion of motion and inversion.

History
Although it was relevently recent that large scale Madhouses have been devised, the idea has been around since 1898, with what can be considered as an early madhouse being built in Pleasure Beach Blackpool in 1952, then known as The Haunted Swing but now known as Impossible, which composed of a static swing and a room-themed drum which could revolve 360 degrees (although nowadays it, due to health and safety laws, only revolves about 195 degrees)

Method
After the Waiting line and Preshow(s) The visitors enter the Mainshow which composes of a swing lined with benches and the Drum, which is usually decorated and themed to give the visitors the illusion of entering a normal room. When the riders are seated (and restrained with lap bars) the ride begins.The swing (where the visitors are seated) moves 15-30 degrees each direction. this gives the visitors the sensation of movement and inversion while the drum (the room) moves a full 360 degrees. The ride is usually programmed to give the illusion of swinging higher and higher and, eventually, turning full circle.