Key Information
Opened in April 2000 at a cost of £4 million, Hex - The Legend of the Towers is located in the ruins of the Alton Towers gothic mansion. After queuing through the south wing of the Towers, guests watch a short video which explain the backstory. This is the local legend of an old oak tree (which really exists), which is said to have been chained up in order to overcome a curse placed on the Earl of Shrewsbury. An old beggar lady placed the curse on him after he rudely spurned her request for some change, decreeing that every time a branch fell, a member of his family would die.
After watching the video, guests enter another pre-show area where they learn of a secret vault that was used by the Earl to experiment on a fallen branch of the oak tree. On entering the "vault", guests actually leave the towers and move into a dedicated ride building. This is home to a Vekoma Mad House attraction, which is heavily themed to resemble the vault. Guests sit on either side of the branch on long benches, held in place by lap bars.
The ride is designed to disorient guests, with loud music, tilting chairs and a room that seems to rotate 360 degrees. Are riders upside down, or is it just an illusion?