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|
 Mystery Fun House prior to closure | |
| Location | Orlando, Florida |
|---|---|
| Status | Defunct |
| Opened | March 27, 1976 |
| Closed | February 18, 2001 |
| Owner | David A. Siegel (1976-2022) |
| Theme | Funhouse |
Mystery Fun House was an attraction complex in Orlando, Florida, United States. It was founded with the help of David A. Siegel on March 27, 1976, and operated through February 18, 2001. Located near International Drive on Major Boulevard across from Universal Orlando Resort, the fun house expanded over time to include a laser-tag facility, an arcade, a dinosaur-themed mini golf course, and other attractions.
After closing, the former lobby of the Fun House was used as a Westgate Resorts check-in center. Parts of the building and all of Starbase Omega was destroyed in 2017 due to Hurricane Irma. As of October 2022, the former Mystery Fun House building and property was razed to make way for a new condo complex.
Attractions
The Chambers
The Fun House consisted of 15 areas called "chambers", including a mirror maze, a rolling barrel, crawl-through tunnels, scary jail areas, a moving bridge and a crooked room. In the early days, there was a multiplex movie theater, a hologram machine, a Disco room with a lighted dance floor, and a wall-sized "computer" that could read patrons' handwriting and provide fortunes. There was also a show about three quarters of the way through the Fun House with music, lights, special effects and a video of the Wizard projected on a large screen.
Magic Shop
The Mystery Fun House Magic Shop was run by veteran magician Dan Stapleton [1]. In the early '70s, entertainment producer Jackson Hamiter [2] trained under Stapleton and his brother, well known for his "Buxxum Bunnies" card tricks.
Starbase Omega
Starbase Omega was a laser tag facility added in the late 1980s. Each player was equipped with a reflective target badge, a battery belt pack, and a "laser" gun. To get to Starbase Omega, patrons sat on a transporter that simulated a ride to the planet. Once on the planet—a large, dark room with extra-bouncy carpets and a hovering spaceship—players shot light beams at other players, trying to hit their reflective badges.
Mystery Mini Golf / Jurassic Putt
Originally called Mystery Mini Golf, Jurassic Putt was an 18-hole, dinosaur-themed miniature golf course that included a dark building for one of the holes.
Mystery Fun House Pizza and Show
In MFH's later years, a pizza parlor and arcade was added that featured an animatronic show in the style of ShowBiz Pizza and Chuck E. Cheese's.
Filming
Two movies were filmed at the Mystery Fun House: the birthday scene of Parenthood (1989), and most of the horror film Night Terror (2002).
External links
- BigFloridaCountry- Information by Scott Jensen
- MFH on BigFloridaCountry- Pictures and Information
- MFH on Facebook- Discussion, Images, and much Information