For the next three minutes, you will forget every problem and responsibility waiting outside and surrender completely to the strange little world of the Haunted Mansion. 

The doors swing open and you disappear into complete darkness. The car lurches forward, stops abruptly and bangs through another set of doors. The aging ride system can be just as startling as the ghosts and ghouls themselves.

The air changes, carrying that familiar mix of salt air and old haunted-house must. Fluorescent skulls hang overhead. A skeleton plays the organ. You become awestruck by the intricate displays of ghosts, ghouls and haunted things.

Suddenly, you burst outside above the Boardwalk. Fresh air. Lights. A brief respite from the vintage beach haunt. But before you can adjust to the fresh air, the mansion pulls you back inside.

A truck blasts its horn. Is that a skeleton peeing? You scream, the camera flashes and the doors deposit you back into the bright and exciting world of Funland.

It’s a beach tradition. And after this year, it will never be exactly the same again.

Built Up Instead Of Out

The Haunted Mansion opened in 1979 after nearly two years of development. With little room available inside the compact Boardwalk park, the solution was to build upward instead of outward.

Its cars hang from an overhead track and travel through two levels of scenes. Because the machinery is above riders instead of beneath them, it disappears into the darkness and offers few clues about where the car is heading next.

The 500-foot track carries riders through the mansion in less than three minutes. Seven three-person cars typically operate at a time, with another kept as a spare.

That unusual combination of a suspended track, two-story layout and handmade effects helped establish the Haunted Mansion as one of the country’s most respected classic dark rides.

Many of its monsters are simpler than they appear in the darkness. Frankenstein, for example, was constructed largely from chicken wire, a wooden frame and cardboard carpet tubes covered with fiberglass. His knees are hinges.

That handmade quality is part of the ride’s personality. It is also something Funland wants to preserve.

The Final Season

The Haunted Mansion will close following Funland’s 2026 season for a complete renovation. It will remain closed throughout summer 2027, with a reimagined version expected to open in 2028.

Fourth-generation Funland family members Chris Darr and Ian Curry recently led a behind-the-scenes tour of the ride, explaining what will change and, perhaps more importantly, what will not.

“We really are trying to make sure that it’s the same experience for the most part,” Darr said. “A lot of time and effort has gone into making sure that, like this living room we’re standing in, this will be recreated in the new version.”

The family has spent years considering which scenes and scares are essential to the ride.

“There are certain things that our riders just know, right? Like the bat that comes down, like Frankenstein,” Darr said. “Things are going to change, but what are those core things that our riders will notice if they’re not there?”

The truck will still honk. Frankenstein will return, although he may behave a little differently. Many familiar scenes, practical effects and hidden surprises will remain.

Funland is not replacing the Haunted Mansion with an entirely different attraction. The goal is to build a better version of the ride people already love.

Real People Inside?

One rumor has already begun circulating: The new Haunted Mansion will have live actors hiding inside to frighten riders.

It will not. Funland employees have always been stationed throughout the ride to monitor its operation and make sure riders are behaving safely. They are not part of the show and will not begin chasing people through the mansion after the renovation.

Curry said the updated ride will be slightly scarier, but it will remain appropriate for Funland’s core audience of children ages 2 to 12.

That balance has always defined the Haunted Mansion. It is thrilling enough to make children work up the courage to ride, but not so intense that Funland needs to station a therapist beside the exit.

New technology may allow some effects or images to change between trips, giving riders a reason to go through more than once. Guests may not see exactly the same mansion every time.

“Our goal is simple: Preserve the ride’s nostalgic charm and signature personality while enhancing the overall experience so it can continue to delight families for decades to come,” third-generation family member Randy Curry said in Funland’s official announcement.

Why Change It Now?

The Haunted Mansion still draws one of Funland’s longest lines. Popularity is not the problem. The machinery is.

After 47 seasons of turns, climbs and sudden stops, the ride system is reaching the end of its useful life. Funland has spent the past five years maintaining it, but the family does not want to wait for a major failure to force an unplanned closure.

“It’s had a great run, and we want it to go another 47 years,” Darr said. “We don’t want to have to say, ‘This ride is going to be gone for multiple years’ because it isn’t working.”

The renovation involves a new ride system, electrical work, ventilation, fire safety requirements and the difficult task of fitting everything inside an unusual two-story building.

Funland is coordinating with local contractors, the state fire marshal and an Italian ride manufacturer. Design meetings include questions most construction projects never face, such as how to deliver electricity and compressed air to Frankenstein.

“This is a unique building,” Darr said. “This is not like building
a house.”

The family realized the work could not be rushed through a single offseason.

“We said, let’s slow down and make sure we do the best job possible,” Darr said. “Unfortunately, that means we won’t have the ride next summer.”

The Original Designer

Jim Melonic, the creative mind behind the original Haunted Mansion’s theming and effects, will return to design its next version.

Funland interviewed several designers before choosing Melonic. The Haunted Mansion was one of his first major projects. The renovation may be one of his last.

“It was immediate. We knew it was Jim,” Darr said.

Melonic remembers why scenes were created a certain way and how individual props were constructed. Now he can revisit those ideas with nearly five decades of additional experience and  new technology.

“It’s so helpful to have an original designer who says, ‘I crafted this tree in this way, and now I can make it a better version,’” Darr said. “When we sit down in our design meetings, we’re smiling the whole time. It’s going to be really cool.”

The original Haunted Mansion will operate through Funland’s final day of the season, Sunday, Sept. 13. The family will share renovation updates and behind-the-scenes glimpses while the ride is closed.

Until then, you can still take your place in that long line. The old car will come cranking down the track, you will squeeze inside and the doors will swing open. For three minutes, the Haunted Mansion will make you forget everything waiting outside.

Then the doors will open again, returning you to the lights and noise of Funland. The people still in line will study your face as you emerge, wondering whether it is really worth the wait.

It always is. 

Next summer, the cars will stop and the doors will remain closed. But if everything goes according to plan, the Haunted Mansion will welcome a new generation of riders in 2028.  

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Haunted Mansion By The Numbers