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Introduction

The Mystery Spot is a visual illusion–based tourist attraction near Santa Cruz, California. George Prather opened The Mystery Spot in 1941. Visitors of the Mystery Spot experience gravity-defying demonstrations on the short but steep uphill walk. The Mystery Spot is a popular tourist attraction for people worldwide. The Mystery Spot gained recognition as a roadside "gravity box" or "titled house" illusion. . At this roadside attraction, the laws of gravity and physics seem to disappear as balls roll uphill and people lean over past their toes without tumbling over.

History

The Mystery Spot was said to have been first discovered by George Prather in 1939. George Prather was an electrician, mechanic, and inventor before he opened the site. He was born near Fresno and moved to Santa Cruz in 1920. He owned a welding shop and repair garage in the area before he discovered the Mystery Spot. The Mystery Spot was one of several roadside attractions that popped up after World War II for new automobile owners and in its heyday was featured on Art Baker's television show You Asked For It. Prather was said to have been inspired to open the site to the public by the popularity of the nearby Oregon Vortex which opened to the public in 1930. He is said to have tried to build a tool shed on the land only to find it would not stay upright and soon fell down the hill. Prather then decided to open the site to the public in June of 1941 where tour guides lead visitors through the Mystery Spot on a daily basis. The site is what is known as a gravity hill and was the first of its kind to be built in California. The guides perform various demonstrations to showcase the unusual phenomena that Prather stumbled upon. Prather died in January 1946 and at that time his son Bruce inherited the land and continued running the mystery spot with his father's business partner Vaden McCray until his own passing in 2015. The McCray family was photographed for the Life Magazine spread on the Mystery spot for their November 15, 1948 issue. Vaden McCray passed away in 2001 before Bruce Prather's passing. An unnamed Santa Cruz lawyer now owns the property. The Mystery Spot was nominated in July 2014 to be designated as a California Historical landmark and was officially declared as California Historical Landmark #1055 in August 2014.

Geography

The Mystery Spot's affected area is only 150 feet in diameter and the site is located in Santa Cruz, California amongst the Santa Cruz mountains, Oak trees, Eucalyptus trees, near Granite Creek, and within the California Redwood forest. The mystery spot is sandwiched approximately between the Santa Cruz Mountains and the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, a popular tourist spot. The Redwood trees in this area grow crookedly and are a part of what is known as the Twisted Grove in Nisene Marks State Park. The strange effect is believed to be caused by magnetic fields. The Mystery Spot can be found on Highway 17 along the way to the Santa Cruz Mountains. It has been stated that animals in the area avoid the mystery spot and include blue jays, banana slugs, newts, and several types of flora. The mystery spot itself is home to a man-made dahlia garden along the hiking trail for visitors to take a flower from.

Illusion Explanation

Many theories have been proposed to explain the reason behind The Mystery Spot’s odd gravitational rules and illusions. Tour guides suggest that “a meteor which fell in ancient days and left a magic circle” is the cause behind the mystery. Due to the electromagnetic field on the hill, wildlife cannot live near The Mystery Spot. Some visitors of The Mystery Spot are skeptics of the illusion. The Bermuda Triangle, the Oregon Vortex, and the Mystery Spot are just a few places where “energy vortexes” create unexplainable occurrences. These visual illusions include balls rolling uphill and people leaning farther than normally possible without falling down. Psychologists at Berkeley state that all of the misperceptions stem from the simple fact that the house is slanted at a 20 degree angle. Professor William Prinzmetal states, “When the percievers body also is tilted, the distorting impact on vision is greatly magnified- up to two or three times.” Another point he makes is that distorted orientation causes other senses to fall back while your visual senses become heightened. People standing at impossible angles, water flowing uphill, all of it is related to the angle at which the house sits on. When you are inside the actual horizon line cannot be seen, so these mystery houses create an artificial one, making the distortions seem real. Whether or not a person understands the characteristics behind the cabins doesn’t matter, because our spatial brains play into the concept of the illusions.

Activities

The Mystery Spot is open for tours 365 days a year. You can buy tickets on location or online for 8 dollars. It is recommended to purchase your tickets online to ensure your spot in the tour group. Aside from the attraction itself, there is a thirty-minute hiking trail nearby. On the trail also lies a new dahlia garden stocked with native flowers that visitors are encouraged to take. Animals are allowed on the trail provided they are leashed at all times. At the Mystery Spot you can find the Button Shack. At the Button Shack you can get your picture taken and have it quickly made into a button, keychain or magnet. If you don't customize a button onsite you can email the Mystery Spot a picture on their website and they’ll send your customized item directly to you. There is a gift shop on site with shot glasses, playing cards, and other items.

Cultural & Community Relevance

The Mystery Spot was the first gravity-defying tourist attraction in California and was the most prominent illusion-bred tourist attraction in California in the mid-20th century. The Mystery Spot has been featured on Buzzfeed, the Santa Cruz Sentinel, comic strips, travel blogs, and newspapers for decades. The employees working at the Mystery Spot are friendly tour guides who act as magicians during the tour, displaying all the gravity defying tricks to the tour group. Members of the tour groups are encouraged by the guides to participate in each demonstration. People travel from all over the world to witness the mystery of the Mystery Spot. After each tour, Mystery Spot bumper stickers are distributed to each member of the tour group. These bumper stickers can be seen all over the America but are most commonly seen on the West coast. A free-spirited couple who traveled all over America for two years in an RV got married at the Mystery Spot in August 2013.