Later when the story was recounted to Western Fair Security Guards they also has stories to share about that building and strange happenings late at night. That year a documentary was being filmed about the Haunted Mansion and when the videographer interviewed the person who ran the museum next door to the Haunted Mansion it was learned that in 1887  Western Fair opened in a beautiful natural site known as Queens Park, where St. Paul’s cemetery had been. Over 1200 graves had been moved from the Western Fair site to Mt. Pleasant Cemetary in the 1870′s.

Later in 2003 during the construction of the Western Fairs Agriplex more human remains were discovered and to be relocated.

The other good news is that I have been spending my time off of the Haunted Mansion learning and developing more spooky special effects and haunted illusions that are sure to delight should we ever bring it back. I can promise you that if it does return it will remain London’s Premiere Halloween Attraction.

Oh and one last thing. HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Very Best Regards,

Timothy Drake

Look closely and you will see Jim who played the mad scientist looking off camera for me to give him his next direction. Enjoy!

Enter … Scott McNair. Scott caught wind of the idea, set up a meeting with Drake and from that point the rest is history. This photo was taken of Scott and Timothy in 2004 if memory serves correct. As mentioned in previous blog trivia posts … The name McNair over the Haunted Mansions Entrance Doorway is in tribute to Scott McNair. Visitors to the Shriners Haunted Mansion would also remember Scott as the host that welcomed them into the parlour each year and had them say the magic word to open the secret door. Of course that magic word was….. ” Haaaalllllllloooooooweeeeeen”

Haunted Mansion Founders Timothy Drake and Scott McNair

We quit doing the effect because as time passed kids who had been to the Mansion for several years  came to expect it and were waiting for walls to reach out for them and would in turn swat, whack and punch the hands. It turned into a ” whack a mole” game of sorts and we had several close calls where volunteers who were behind the wall reaching out were getting hurt.  I myself was injured while filling in for a volunteer so that was the last year for that effect. Too bad as it was one of the fun ones that people really enjoyed.

Nick Paparella meets the living wall at the Shriners Haunted Mansion

One of the Haunted Mansions many secrets is that I came up with this idea as a last minute fix to fill in for a special effect I never got to finish the first year. In year one at the Oxbury mall I had planned on having a wall where glowing eyes could be seen peaking at you through the wallpaper on the walls. It was to be as if ghosts were hiding in the walls and watching you.  I literally ran out of time to wire everything up so the day before when I realized I’d have to open to the public with an unfinished area I just said.. ” Cut holes in the walls and cover the entire wall in spandex”. Then it was a simple matter of putting volunteers behind the wall to reach out  for visitors. The walls were set just far enough apart that you could walk down the very centre and not get touched by them as you can see here in this video still of Rogers Tv host Francee Ender. Not many took that option and preferred to run the gauntlet and take their chances.

Living Walls at the Shriners Haunted Mansion.

Thanks Emma for a wonderful letter!

Hello! I was browsing the internet looking to see if London had any haunted houses to visit this year, and came across this page. I dont know if this email will make any difference, but I just thought id let you know how much this haunted house ment to my family! My grandma and grandpa had took me and my sister every year since 2012, and it was something we would look forward to every year. It ment so much to the four of us as it was tradition, and the house itself was so well done. To this day, whenever I hear the song “This is Halloween”, I think of the last room in the haunted mansion. My grandpa passed away in 2005, and it would mean the world to my sister, grandma and me to be able to go back and relive those memories the four of us had! Thank you for all of the memories, and crossing my fingers that it will open again one day!
Emma Berkin