8. Haunted Mansion

Location: Knoebel's (Elysburg, Pennsylvania)
Video: On-Ride and Lights-On

Consistently voted by dark ride and funhouse enthusiast groups as the best classic dark ride on Earth, the unassuming Haunted Mansion at Knoebel’s Family Amusement Park in Pennsylvania really is a treasure. Filled with classic jump-scare gags hidden in the dark, the ride’s classic carts zip around and through surprising scenes of simple figures that perform timeless stunts.

Crashing through doors, loud noises, sudden lights drawing attention to approaching figures, and no chicken wire! Knoebel’s is committed to maintaining and celebrating its classic dark ride, so as many fall to ruins, Haunted Mansion gets the care and attention it deserves year after year, preserving it for future generations of dark ride lovers. 

9. Maus au Chocolat

Location: Phantasialand (Brühl, Germany)
Video: Promotional On-Ride 

Though many people applaud the technological marvel and fun behind Disney’s Toy Story Midway Mania, they may not recognize that the technology is shared. At the under-recognized Phantasialand park in Germany resides Maus au Chocolat, a zippy, interactive dark ride that sends riders into a bakery armed with a pastry cream bag. The goal is to cause as much delicious chaos as possible in the kitchen. Truthfully, the ride itself is probably better themed than Midway Mania with kitchen interiors and shadow gags filling the space between screens.

10. Valhalla

Location: Blackpool Pleasure Beach (Blackpool, England)

Easily one of the premier dark rides in the United Kingdom, Valhalla at Blackpool Pleasure Beach is meant to depict the legendary journey to the afterlife world of the Vikings. The attraction is full of rocky corridors and animatronics alongside real flames, water, and ice effects. The water tunnel above is one of the signature moments in the ride, which also includes forwards and backwards tracks and stunning visual special effects. Fans of a Lost Legend: Maelstrom, will find something to enjoy in this Scandanavian journey. In other words, Valhalla is a must-ride, especially since it was recently refreshed with many of its effects brought back to stunning life.

11. Whacky Shack

Location: Waldameer Park (Erie, Pennsylvania)

It’s unclear why Pennsylvania has done such a good job of maintaining old dark rides – this is the third and final on the list – but they have to be commended. Up north in Erie is Waldameer Park, a pay-per-ride wonderland of classics that happens to include the original Whacky Shack by famed designer Bill Tracy. It opened in 1970 but operates today almost entirely unmodified.

Tilted rooms, spinning tunnels, revolving barrels with dead bodies, skull spiders, fluorescent strobe rooms, and the unavoidable car-horn-and-headlights gag are just some of the absolute classic scenes in the dark ride. Like Knoebel’s Haunted Mansion on the other side of the state, Whacky Shack just oozes classic style and timeless gags that will leave riders feeling they’ve lived a piece of history.

12. Droomvlucht

Location: Efteling (Netherlands)
Video: On-Ride

From the same park that brought you Fata Morgana comes Droomvlucht (Dreamflight), an out-of-this-world dark ride that sends guests flying to fantasy landscapes that you can hardly imagine: forests, castles, gardens, and enchanted meadows, all filled with fairies, trolls, goblins, and more. Harnessing all the fairytales and storytelling prowess of Efteling, the ride is truly dream-like as it floats through scenes, observing fantasy creatures at play. The ride's unforgettably finale sees the cabins spiral down around a humungous diorama of a troll marsh. 

Put simply, Dreamflight might be the epitome of what storybook dark rides should be. It's charming, melodic, and simple, but entirely effective. It's no wonder that people often cite Dreamflight as one of the best dark rides in the world, even without the "frills" of interactivity, recognizable characters, or even a discernible plot. It's about artistry and beauty and building your own story, and that is worth something!

Conclusion

The real point here at the end of the day is that it doesn’t take a Disney-sized budget or a well-loved film character to create an awe-inspiring dark ride. Disney risked it big on Pirates of the Caribbean, Mystic Manor, and Haunted Mansion when they could’ve stuck to well-known and well-loved characters for a guaranteed success.

These parks follow in that same tradition, building original dark rides with unique stories. Sure, they may not have the brand recognition or budgets of Disney and Universal, but the dark rides we’ve mentioned here are all of Disney’s caliber! Next time you’re on a road trip, do a little dark ride searching. Chances are you’ll find one that you didn’t even know existed. Dark rides are coming back, and you can help re-ignite the industry!