ThrillRide! Special Features

New York City Photo Trip Report – Part 3
Wild Bill's Dark Ride Paradise
August 6, 2012

There is the Haunted House, still under construction, and an old grain silo with a huge Jack-In-The-Box clown head, all 600 pounds of it, which both sit just beyond the parking lot. We've only been here a few moments and already my brain has melted with joy.

Step right up, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, and see the GREATEST STORE ON EARTH! (Be advised: anyone with a clown phobia, I'm sorry to say, should not come near Wild Bill's. It's crawling with clowns.)

More delightful artwork. RRRAAAAWWWWRRRR!

Note that the "OPEN" lights are illuminated. That would soon change.

We entered the store, and there he was, Wild Bill, behind the counter, ringing up a customer. I introduced Matt and myself, hoping that I wasn't coming off too much like a total fanboy geek, and without a moment's hesitation, he began showing us around.

Pictured above is not just any ordinary clown; that is "Laughing Louie," an animated fun house figure, akin to the better known "Laughing Sals," but male in gender, and as Larry points out on this page, is only one of two in existence.

Then he led us out to look at the Haunted House and that's when Mother Nature threw down. A storm blew into the area, dumping rain and hail, thunder, lightning, the works. It was the kind of thing we just don't get in Southern California (which sucks, if you ask me). And shortly thereafter, a blackout hit. Lights, power tools, everything shut off.

So Bill just took us back into the store and gave us a lengthy, private, in-the-dark flashlight tour. Which was insanely awesome.