Laff-In-The-Dark Artifacts – Halloween Feature! – Kevin's Northeast Ohio Amusement Memories

Hello! I’ve recently acquired a number of unique & special pieces for my collection which I’ve been anxious to announce. In honor of Halloween this week, I’m excited to start by sharing two of my recent purchases from the Euclid Beach Boys’ 3rd memorabilia auction: Original elements from the Laff-In-The-Dark ride at Euclid Beach Park!

The two artifacts I now possess from the ride are a pair of gates (painted to look like metal, but I am fairly certain that they’re mostly made of wood) and a giant octopus illustration measuring approximately 4 x 5 feet! Interestingly, and for reasons of which I am currently unaware, the octopus’s eyes seem to be painted onto flaps over the front of the overall panel. (If you believe you have an answer to this little mystery, please reach out and let me know!)

For those who aren’t familiar, the Laff-In-The-Dark was a ride-through attraction featuring a variety of moving surprises and visual effects which were very innovative for the time. In an excellent example of the practicality and ingenuity of the Humphrey family, the ride’s cars were modified and repurposed from the Witching Waves ride, which had previously occupied the same building. Additionally, the Humphreys and their colleagues at the park invented some of their own equipment for the ride’s effects, including the memorable revolving barrel, patented in 1931, which gave riders the very distinct feeling that they were the ones spinning as they passed through!

Nowadays, one of the original Laff-In-The-Dark cars is owned by the Amusement Preservation Museum, as seen in their recent display at the 20th Annual Remembering The Sights & Sounds of Euclid Beach Park event. If you missed it, you’ll have an opportunity to see it at their next open house in June 2026! You can also still experience a similar vintage dark ride if you visit the Whacky Shack at Waldameer Park in Erie, PA!

Additional information about the Laff-In-The-Dark ride, including a copy of the patent for the revolving barrel, can be found on the “Dark Rides” section of the Euclid Beach Park Now website.