[4K] Haunted Castle Dark Ride at Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk 

I love this dark ride so so much. I can’t exaggerate enough just how smooth and modern this ride is. Your seat actually rotates so you have to face your fears at certain points. The beginning of the ride is amazing as your seat spins backwards and you enter the house down a steep slope. You’d be hard-pressed to find a better dark ride anywhere else.

The scariest part of this ride is coming outside at the end and all the people staring at you.

I rode this as an 80s child and ended up getting scared and I started to panic. My dad told me to close my eyes, put my head on his shoulder, and he would push "the button to make the car go to the end." I did, and just a minute later, we were magically out! I am still impressed by his quick thinking, even though for YEARS I thought all rides had a secret "exit button".

That bridge prop at 3:00 is amazing

The dock-breaking effect was awesome.

Dope! Has an 80's horror feel to it

Perfect atmosphere. Spooky but also kind of kitschy and fun. These old school dark rides do it right. I wish Halloween haunted houses were like this, rather than all the torture and body parts nonsense they're all about these days.

That was so charming. I love how it hit basically every traditional haunted house element. And so many different effects and types of animation! I really hope I can see this in person one day.

This is literally spirit the Halloween store as a ride

"Okay so, we're going to make a decent scary ride, okay? What are your ideas, Jimmy?" "Alrighty, Listen closely, Alan, Im talkin' HAUNTED CASTLES, SWAMP MONSTERS, SKELETONS, DINOSAURS, SATAN, GRAVEYARD SCENES, AND SOUTHERN GHOSTS!" "FUCK YES."

Anyone else think the raptor was the only thing in it that didn't make sense

Also I love that monster plant under the dock effect so much

Halfway through the ride: "oh, hi satan"

I first rode the original Haunted Castle when I was about 8 or 9 years old. It scared the heck out of me within the first few seconds and I ended up closing my eyes for the rest of it. 12 years later, I returned to Santa Cruz with my father and I decided to give this ride another chance. I knew the Boardwalk had re-done it, so I wanted to see if it lived up to the predecessor. The entire time we were waiting in line, I kept telling myself, "I'm a grown adult, there is no way this is going to freak me out. The last one scared me so much that this one could never live up to that one." I had down-played it so much to the point that this ride completely caught me off guard. I was screaming my head off within the first few seconds once again, to the point that I was literally trying to shield and protect myself in my dad's side (something I hadn't done since I was a little girl). When it was finally over, my dad turned to me a said, "I have never heard to scream that hard on a ride before." This video makes it look so childish. I promise, it's actually pretty terrifying but it has become one of my favorite memories with my dad and I laugh every time I think about it.

A crazy dark ride full of jump scares and crazy morbid scenes. This is one of the most creative rides they've made.

mom: we have the disneyland haunted mansion at home haunted mansion at home:

I remember going on this ride when I was a child. It's good to see Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk kept it up after all these years. CLASSIC !!

Its been a few years since I last went to the boardwalk, and seeing this just reminds me how grateful I am for all the animatronics they have there between this and the Cave Train

I love every minute of this attraction! While is scarier ones are created, is nothing like old style fun rides like this. Especially when can taking someone can clinging to while on it. Charming.

One of the best campy haunted houses I've seen

I rode this ride for the first time when I was 6 years old. I was absolutely terrified. I rode it again when I was like 13 and it still felt the same ☠️

I LOVE IT! I love the lack of goofy one-liner actors, I love the animatronics and the almost Dr Satan Rob Zombie vibe. Absolutely love

3:37 why the hell Is there a dinosaur 😂

One time, when I was in line for this very ride, I saw this older dad and his daughter, right? And so, right when the car started to turn and descend, he screamed for no apparent reason. The little girls face was priceless xD. She was so shocked like it was the end of the world. It all said "BOI WTF" XD

Haunted castle theme is underrated I also loved the fish man in the jungle section.

That floor effect was very cool and unique.

A year later and STILL not seen this version. OMG.

Funny story: I had been on the original ride years prior as a kid and it scared me shitless. My dad and I went on this one day and I knew they had redone it and all I could think was "they probably made it less scary." I went in with such low expectations that I was once again scared shitless. My dad tells me he didn't know whether to laugh at me or hug me, he'd never seen me so petrified. All in all, it's not that scary but it CAN be lol.

3:20 見るからにカッパで草

Looks like a lot of fun to ride! You can tell someone worked really hard to put this together and make it enjoyable not necessarily scary.

I am so glad that I found this. Used to watch this video all the time, thought it was great stuff (got into a weird ‘spooky themed amusement park attractions’ phase, once again entering the phase now). Very happy it’s still around. Love how it’s equal parts cheesy old-school and elaborately themed.

That crocodile into the moving blanks is a pretty good effect.

This was way better than expected

Me : this is scary *also me at **2:44**: whoo a goat with abs*

This is one of those goofy dark rides that I would go on all day. Great Haunted ride!

I remember being on this ride years ago. They have definitely changed it since then!

I was dead in the face till 2:26 made me blurt out laughing. All these morbid scenes and this delightful voice just pops out of nowhere LOL.

日本だと霊体が怖いものとして出てくるイメージが強いけど、海外だと骸骨とかモンスターとか、実態的な物が怖いものなんですね

This was one of my favorite rides to work. I used to work at the boardwalk. I remember walking the track with the work lights on and trying to to trip beams. It was a lot of fun. Great sound track as well. Plus you were sunburn proof.

It's one of those that try's so hard to be scary it not scary at all

Oh, this ride! This was done by Sally Corp, I believe.

I went on this with my buddy, but it made me hella anxious to be in a dark, loud room with quick moving objects. I sat terrified and buried in my friend's shoulder - I didn't even look at the ride. It doesn't seem scary on video, but real life it's actually scary!

One of the better dark rides I've seen here on RU-vid.

As someone who has been inside a REAL haunted house before, I have to admit this is probably one of the better dark rides I’ve seen… much better than a lot of the cheesy ones that aren’t even remotely frightening.

This is certainly well maintained...most dark rides I've seen videos of look like decaying relics from the 1950s!

Thanks for sharing! One of the best I ever seen!

I GO ON THIS RIDE SO MUCH WHEN WE GO TO SANTA CRUZ IVE MEMORIZED THE RIDE

My obsession with this ride is way beyond loving it's unspeakably outstanding!!!!

I grew up on this ride! Great memories

My old college stomping grounds..😊 Great memories. I hope you film the Giant Dipper next!

Thanks for showing this... I literally will never be there. Not bad for a boardwalk ride.

Can't wait to go and see this new version.

Awesome, I go here all the time!

That was 100% awesome!

Some of my favorite childhood memories were made there!

This is my favorite ride at the Santa Cruz boardwalk! Classic haunted house dark ride, plus it’s a great way to cool off in the summer heat!

I’ve been on this ride so many times, it’s honestly just a vibe for me at this point

when I went on it was a 2hour wait it took so long but it was worth it

That's....SICK! I would totally ride this.

This is a neat ride. Decent time going through it. Not rushed. Love these types of fun rides👍

One of the best dark rides ever

3:50 wow, that was really rude.

Thank you for posting this. When I was little my parents and I were on this Boardwalk, but they didn´t let me on the ride. Now almost 10 Years later I can see ist.😊

I’m 18 now and I remember going on this ride a lot whenever when I was younger. I swear it feels different though from when I went- still, it’s an awesome ride!!

YEAH! I so love that you do this. Thank you,......thank you,.......thank you!

I want to ride this one day sooo bad!!!!

Looks really fun! Most haunted attractions are walk through now. I wish there were more dark rides.

They really improved this ride.

こ、、、これは怖い

2:08 idk why I laughed a lot

It's on my bucket list to go on this ride!!!!😊😊😊

This one looks better than some others I've been on.

I grew up on this ride and although it's obviously not scary it's a Santa Cruz boardwalk tradition -- you have to do it no matter how unscary it is lol

Omg how cool thanks for showing😊✌️

That bridge is everything. Looks so cool.

My favorite dark ride at Santa Cruz!!!!

wow this is awesome 😁😀

2:02 Ratatouille

This ride and the one in Ocean City, Maryland are my two favorite boardwalk dark rides.

The best part: the guillotine scene.

I really hope you guys do a POV of Wipeout!

omg that looks fun

1:34 I soitenly know that sound effect. Nyuk nyuk nyuk!

haunted house rides at the fair should make their haunted houses like this

I have been there and it's way scarier than it looks. guys... trust me

甲冑って謎に怖いよね。ジャパニーズホラーには負けるけど

This is one of the scariest I love it out of all of them this was the best

this ride is much better than I thought it would be

I amusement park in my town, there is a haunted house ride. BUT, it's around 40 seconds long, only plastic skeletons spin in it, zombie, frankestein, and flashing lights, that cause epilepsy. That ride is "awesome".

I love going their Santa Cruz board walk but this ride scared me 😹my head was tucked in my dads shirt and my eyes were closed chicken alart I love roller coasters though 😝

Very creative ride, would love to go on this one with my 5 y/o son, he loves the darkride called "blå tåget" in stockholm, gröna lund.

Great pov, love your videos!

Oi meu celular e eu te mando de nada, e a outra. E a reserva e o outro

You Couldn't Get Me On This Ride

Considering this is a boardwalk attraction, its actually quite impressive.

Dang! This has like some Disney pizzaz to a horror feel! Thought it would be one of those average carnival/fair rides but it was so much better! And I’ve never even been on it 👻👾👹

You know after just watching this RU-vid video made me realize that i rather much prefer to ride The Haunted Mansion Disney attraction from the Magic Kingdom Park at the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando Florida. Instead of this scary haunted house attraction from on this RU-vid video on here you know.😇

wow what a nice haunted house,its a dark ride not a haunted house

I remember seeing this when I went to the beach boardwalk, but I never went on because my Dad noticed the waiting line was too long.

Yikes! Scooby! I'm not going in there for all the Scooby snacks in the world!