Six Flags Great Adventure Haunted Castle Fire Part 3 of 5

This 45 minute documentary won the prize for 'Best Research' in The Spring 2004 New York Independent International Film Festival. Researcher, Writer and Producer Pete Smith takes viewers back to the fire at the Haunted Castle, which took 8 young lives on May 11, 1984 at the Six Flags Great Adventure Theme Park. Produced in October 2003.
Hello. I'm Peter Smith, the producer of the Haunted Castle fire at Six Flags Great Adventure documentary. A BOOK ABOUT THE HAUNTED CASTLE can be purchased at www.amazon.com/... and an e-book can be downloaded for your Kindle or other e-reader for just $2.99 at www.amazon.com/....

[@drpeterjamessmith]

The roll barrel windows are the displays on the wall in the death trailer. Hunchback was just a name, although it was often called blacklight. The kids could easily get out once the fire started by continuing through three more trailers to the main exit. (There also was another emergency exit in the rear that was reportedly NOT chained.) Budget did not allow for the animation to go to the end, although that could happen in the future. Thanks!

[@jamesnolan9642]

I must say that this is truly terrifying but yet you're work has been so good to give us all these details. I had come across this set of videos a few years back because I myself am a 17 year old who loves great Adventure and other amusement parks. Without this I don't think anyone would have know this story. I had purchased the book on this, doorway to hell on amazon and it's truly a terrific account of the darkest day at great Adventure. You're work has captivated me and led me to want to know more about this story. This definitely deserves more recognition

[@CJBrowninLV]

PJ Smith - you've done an excellent job capturing so many details from various sources (to all the complainers? I don't see you creating a documentary regarding an incident which occurred in a theme park almost 30 years ago - where obtaining footage of the attraction is almost impossible beyond just photos and / or publicity video meant for the media .. complaints about a Jersey accent? Duh! This occurred in New Jersey & its documented by someone from New Jersey! Quit being trolls!)

[@drpeterjamessmith]

My documentary was the first thing I did and I taught myself. Still, it was a huge success by all accounts and I tell the people who bitch about quality and accent or whatever bullshit that when THEY have any type of film to compare to how well mine has done over the two decades THEN THEY CAN SHOW ME THEIRS AND HEAR MY REVIEWS. But since they don't, I never think of them or give a shit! LOL thanks

[@redheadwithafierytemper5668]

@@drpeterjamessmith I think you movie is amazing. The information you have given I haven't read these details anywhere. You giving your personal experience of visiting it and the details from people who were actually there is invaluable. I had never heard of this catastrophe until today. Thank you for this incredibly insightful documentary.

[@mrcabmr]

I remember how angry we were that the parents had to pay to get in to find out the info about their children. I was one of the FK Lane student that were there that day. Needless to say, we knew who was missing on the way home but didnt hear of their demise until the following day. Sad day indeed

[@Lyubov91]

The organ music never stopped playing. Awful. :(

[@scottw6704]

It makes sense - prerecorded music likely was piped in from the control room, and was not coming from the polyurethane walls that were affected.

[@kathyreagan2208]

Free return tickets? Why yes they would love to return to the site they almost died in.. sounds like a fun time! What kind of fuckery is this? While the park has absolute responsibility, who was the deciding teacher/ adult who let a mental Pyro loose with no chaperone in the park? Tons of kids saw him with a lighter but not one teacher or adult seen him? And mental or not the kids guilty he's all " dang! Can't a guy walk away lighter in hand from a blaze that is identical to the one I set before?wasnt me.."straight up fuckery!! And not blaming the dead but it is clear the local teens also steered towards this horrific disaster, everything the park had to adjust was due to some criminal activity by teens, they just didn't adjust properly but...Great job on the documentary!

[@crowdedenz87]

There were eight people, who died on the 9th of June 1979 fire in a ghost train at Luna park Sydney, Australia.

[@lennomenno]

Parent: I am here to ID my deceased child. Park employee: That will be $16.00.

[@ThatAdultCrash24]

We ordered this from you on VHS. Thank you for sharing it with the world

[@briangray6858]

I feel for the parents, because it's hard to believe knowing that their children died 29 years ago, and the pain that they are going through each time that May 11 comes around each year.

[@racheldianeames3729]

prayers for the families for the 8 kids whom lost their lives in a horrible tragedy in 1984 while having fun at a amusement park

[@scootermom1791]

No kidding! Grief never goes away. People don't get past it: they just try to get through it one day at a time. Anniversaries of when a loved one passed away are very difficult. They are always a reminder of the tragic circumstances that led to a loved one's death. Rip to all the victims of this totally preventable accident. 😢😢😢

[@xLauren8199x]

why do u have to pay to get in the park if your child died there.... are you kidding me\

[@C_Holloway]

Sickening, right?! I'd be screaming, "F*** your admission fee, I'm coming to claim my child!"

[@stephensmith8316]

It's ridiculous. It's not like the parents were trying to pull one over on the park to get in to go on rides or have a good time. Given the circumstances, I find it hard to believe anyone working the admission and security gates would have the gull to ask the grieving parents for money to enter. I can't even imagine how awkward that would be. If I was a parent and they pulled that, I would've pushed my way through and told them to call the cops if they want and they can cone arrest me at the site where my kid was killed.

[@onetruemoody5556]

One of the most heartbreaking accidents! We had a fire at a football ground, valley parade in bradford uk! Fire started in the old wooden 77yr mainstand, gathered litter below the seats, an accident waiting to happen, and it did happen! A discarded cigarette, stand went up in four mins! Majority of fans escaped, but 56 didnt! 27 of them found at the exits back of the stand! Badly burnt! So sad and it could of been avoided c

[@xenohtype]

Coincidentally (and eerily), the Bradford fire happened exactly a year after the Haunted House Fire. And it’s also sobering to know that, as a whole, British football had quite a bit of tragedies during the 1980s. First Bradford, then Heysel - and then the worst of them all, Hillsborough.

[@scootermom1791]

6:58 This tragedy and the resulting actions from the amusement park was wrong on so many levels. But, to not let the parents of these children in the park unless they paid the entry fee?!?!? How heartless can you be? I hope the parents sued the heck out of that piece of crap park!

[@jadedheartsz]

they did and each won about 2.5 million dollars.

[@scootermom1791]

@@jadedheartsz good! Hopefully that took care of their medical bills.

[@melloangelwolf8611]

Terrifying. Imagine dying in the dark, smoke and organ music

[@Zickcermacity]

I just noticed something really sick, jackbuster: In your statement you mention a red and blue side to the G.A. Haunted Castle. If this was the case, than the very fact that the modern Batman & Robin: The Chiller coaster has a blue and red side is a morbid reminder of the original construction of the Haunted Castle. SixFlags should change that or should have used differnt colors in the first place! Sick - on the part of S.F.!

[@SlimShaney08]

crazy... RIP victims of the haunted house at SFGA

[@iangoblin71]

"Sorry...you can't come in to see the spot where your child died without paying." ARE YOU SERIOUS???

[@josephdeakyne197]

We were there dropping down on the ride freefall we had season tickets for the free concerts it was a Friday golden earing band was ready to start playing when they closed the whole park guide ed Every one out gave us pink refund tickets s to comeback in the morning we Hurd the bad news 8 NY city kids parrished in the fire was sad us we were young then I'm 65 now still wonder could have been us

[@RoadCone411]

In fairness, most of the injuries and deaths at Six Flags parks are caused by people breaking the rules. Stupidity (and its sometimes tragic results) also happen at Disney parks, Universal Studios and Busch Gardens, etc. This fire was an exception. It was needless, reckless and careless, and the one silver lining from that horrible day in NJ is that amusement parks were forced to become safer and more regulated. A tough way to learn that lesson. (I was at GA last summer, had a great time!)

[@lyndaspady6532]

Families of victims were taken into the park Administration building but due to the investigation that was taking place. I know because I worked there at that time.

[@kevd9825]

Six Flags Actually charged the parents the admission fee to see their dead kids.

[@C_Holloway]

I was so mad when I learned about that. Despicable.

[@drpeterjamessmith]

Suzette declined to appear on screen, and production time was limited to one month. Budget and other considerations kept on-camera interviews out of the question. I learned as I went. I saw it maybe going as far as public access tv. I never dreamed it would premiere in New York City the next year or win a prize like it did. And I certainly didn't expect that it would one day be viewed daily by many people worldwide on youtube!

[@drpeterjamessmith]

GUESS WHAT....this isn't NPR! I'm proud to be from Jersey, and if it makes you mad, I am SO happy.

[@taylornezovich7552]

@Peter James Smith this is damn good work Sir! Really impressed.

[@scottw6704]

The campfire-ghost story voice is a bit of an odd choice for a documentary, but otherwise this was really well done and very informative! I appreciated all the detail.

[@ShadeGirl123]

I have questions! okay, how did the 8 teens not escape? like, wasn't there an exit near them? or did they become trapped right away? also, would this death be very painful, or did they pass out before they burned?

[@thefriendlyanarchist3621]

They died because of the smoke^^

[@angelicareal7381]

Trolling Troll There was in fact an exit nearby BUT it was in an area that was fenced off so it was of no use. (Dumb idea I know right?) So yeah they were all pretty much trapped in there because there wasn't any other accessible exit near them. As for it being a painful death yes it probably was. The smoke likely killed them first before the actual fire did because in a fire it's very easy to suffocate from smoke inhalation first than it is to burn alive, especially when chemicals such as carbon monoxide are involved. I can't imagine what it would be like knowing you were trapped and that you're going to die. I'm pretty sure these kids may have known that they weren't getting out alive once they were trapped. Honestly it's something I can't get off my mind.

[@Truckguy1970]

I also noticed in the videos that the trailers had those split rim tires and they were blown off from the fire,It's a good thing noone was on the sides of the structure when they blew out,otherwise people would have been killed outside as well,those rims are nasty when they take off like that,I've heard of people being decapitated by them.

[@drpeterjamessmith]

It was early in the season, high school and college students weren't on vacation yet. It was only the fourth weekend of the '84 season at this time.

[@SoJustCool]

the screaming part is frightening--are those the teenagers who burnt to death?

[@drpeterjamessmith]

The illustrations for the displays for the 3-D walkthrough are not identical in appearance to the original, although they appear in the same spots. The music eventually went off, but after about 15 minutes.

[@drpeterjamessmith]

Chiller is in the process of being dismantled, even though they just

[@KatRaccoon]

It does kind of sound like he's telling a spooky campfire story...

[@ICONicGleek]

Hello I was so interested in this that I did my social studies fair project on this

[@drpeterjamessmith]

If both sides were open at the same time, which was only done at peak attendance times, then there were two separate staffs. On 5/11/84, there was only the main left "red" side open. The blue was shut down.

[@drpeterjamessmith]

There were two mazes entered by a common front entrance. (The two mazes were nearly identical, except one side was painted red, the other blue...just like Chiller!) The actors led you inside. Sometimes both were open, but on the night of the fire, the left or red side was open only. It was very scary, with very scary costumes. Lady on the wheel was a mannequin.

[@drpeterjamessmith]

Most of the actors were local high school and college students. AND IN REGARDS TO PART SIX, it was intended to be a follow-up, and it IS COMING, but I will first need to finish the manuscript of my book, which is in the final process now. I should have the book published in early 2009. Look for Part 6, the follow-up, in 2008.

[@drpeterjamessmith]

Those clear dividers were plexiglass panels that had to be negotiated between as sort of an optional illusion.

[@bradhig]

Where was the AC controlled form? The control room? Why didn't Scott or the employee who saved the girl turn off the music?

[@drpeterjamessmith]

Portrait was part of the facade. Only after you passed it were you in the trailers. The display in between Portrait and Butcher is the Rat Lady, although it doesn't look exactly like the original the way it is depicted in the animation. But it is in the right spot.

[@drpeterjamessmith]

People say a lot of things. The back door was not chained. Several people exited out of it that night. The only door in question is the strobe door.

[@Truckguy1970]

The floors in the Blue side trailers were buckling and rotting out,And that side wasn't used as much as the red side.

[@jiggleykrowzer8768]

ED TURNBACK? HOW FUCKING IRONIC is that, considering they ALL "turned their back" on safety for a dark ride they purchased for next to nothing (100 dollars aint SHIT for these deep pocket motherfuckers). Thinking about the final moments of these poor doomed kids who just wanted to have some fun together before graduating high school makes me SICK.

[@drpeterjamessmith]

They hid in the wall behind portrait, which was accessed through the control room.

[@marcomacias3960]

I wonder where can I see the entire simulation on the tour of the haunted castle

[@drpeterjamessmith]

It was not pitch black. There were some ambient lighting. It was quite dim. I do not say anywhere that it was pitch black.

[@drpeterjamessmith]

They (SFGA Public Relations) wouldn't talk or give me any information at all, and the couldn't have been ruder. So I made the film without their input. And a few years after the documentary, I was scheduled to go to media day for Kingda Ka, but I was banned. As it turns out, for my job now, I have to see SFGA Public Relations people frequently. I saw one last week at a function. (she didn't know me at first, but soon figured it out.)

[@stephensmith8316]

I know you posted this 15 years ago already but do you still get blocked or banned from SFGA public relations to this day? That's crazy how mean and non cooperative they were to you. To not give details or act sympathetic to your cause of making this video really speaks volumes of how they treat customers and accept no fault for what happened. And public relations staff come and go over the years. If they're still ducking you after all of this time, that's crazy.

[@drpeterjamessmith]

Whatever is posted on that site will be heavily edited by the SFGA people, as is all the information on there. I'm surprised they are doing ANYTHING remotely related to the Haunted Castle.

[@zac613]

@katanaxitachi with it being 6 flags, ummmm it seems that 6 flags doesn't care about people's safty becuz there has been deaths or fatal injuries at almost every 6 flags park. it's sad that we pay alot of money for tickets to go to 6 flag parks and they don't really care about safty. and people wonder why i don't go to 6 flag parks

[@jbeachboy100]

who lights a fire in a haunted house?

[@dani.dee4213]

The real story is that - the guy lit his lighter to see where he was going, and ended up lighting the decorations above him on fire. My uncle was actually there when this happened, and he heard the blood curdling screams of the people still stuck inside the house. Its something he won't forget, & a story I can't forget. It's so sad. So... To answer your question, only a fucking dumbass lights a fire in a haunted house. My uncle said that they had signs stating that you don't bring any kind of "light" inside, and NO smoking.

[@jbeachboy100]

wait if they had warning signs, why was there no fire sprinklers or other exits when they bult this, it was like a death trap

[@dani.dee4213]

That was actually brought up SO many times! So many people questioned why the hell they only had 2 fire exits and why they had no signs to the exits. The building was very, very poorly built and a lot of people said the blueprints that 6-flags gave were extremely odd for a building lay-out, they questioned things like why they had doors in places that doors were not. (it is a haunted house though) so maybe that is why lol. I really wish that it had been thought through more thoroughly, they should have done things like what you had said. Put in sprinklers. Exit signs, warnings. Many people to this call it a death trap because many believe it was designed like one. It was clearly not thought out well. :(

[@dani.dee4213]

to this day call it * sorry for error.

[@jbeachboy100]

safety wasnt that big in 80s

[@drpeterjamessmith]

If all the stations were occupied, you would hit the portrait, then the butcher, then the hunchback/blacklight, then phantom, then the graveyard at the end. Often though, and the day of the fire, only the butcher was occupied. That was it. (The night of the fire, there was also a gatekeeper, a "rover", and another guy (probably scheduled at hunchback from what I've been told) who was on break. 4 employees, two at their places.

[@drpeterjamessmith]

No, in the movie it's Cassville's truck. The truck that you have seen at the park I believe is one that responded, but I'm not positive.

[@bradhig]

Was that lady laying down the Rat Lady? Didn't the music stop playing when the fire reached the control room?

[@briangray6858]

I know right, the parents probably were outraged and probably asked to see a manager.

[@aracelypinto4100]

musica temerarios

[@superstud96ify]

its tragic how such things like this can happen, i am interested in finding more about this incident and others like it, any suggestions?

[@bradhig]

Why were they short on actors in the haunted castle?

[@DiamanteDea]

Did they suffer and were their bodies really messed up after they died??? :(

[@dani.dee4213]

I just recently answered a guy above - My uncle was there for his school trip the day this happened. Apparently the real story is a man lit his lighter to see where he was going, and ended up lighting the decorations above him on fire. My uncle said he can still hear the blood curdling screams to this day of the people who were trapped inside. It was horrific and yes, the bodies were unrecognizable :( - the saddest part is, he said there were signs stating not to use lights and No Smoking.. My uncle hates that place now. He has NEVER gone back to this day.

[@DiamanteDea]

dani dee How sad and traumatizing. :(

[@glenloy2309]

Dani your uncle is 100 percent correct i was there that day and on a ride next to the haunted castle, the screams coming from there was horrific. Im 51 today and i have never went into a haunted house since then.

[@katanaxitachi]

how many people have to die for people to not screw up by forgetting commen sence or worrying about money

[@drpeterjamessmith]

The narrator WAS indeed congested, but production time was limited.

[@Lyubov91]

Jackbuster, I like your tone and accent! :)

[@MrsNatWolff95]

my mom went on this a week b4 it happend and she felt lyk sumtin was gona go wrong!

[@lilkalanadiangirl31]

Very sad.

[@drpeterjamessmith]

agreed

[@NorthEastCoasters]

The Autobahn is the closes thing

[@olakupa]

that is so sad

[@drpeterjamessmith]

I do know that.

[@DiamanteDea]

money hungry capitalists.

[@jeffreywatt8099]

If not for "capitalists" there would be no amusement parks.

[@audreysquadgamingz1282]

Somebody help! I can’t look it’s blood! 😳😨😣😫🥺