Mystery Spot, Tourist attraction in Santa Cruz County, United States.
Mystery Spot is a tourist attraction in Santa Cruz County, United States, where a tilted wooden cabin stands among redwood trees. The structure uses architectural angles and optical effects to shift the perception of gravity.
George Prather discovered the unusual properties of this location while exploring his newly acquired mountain property. He opened the attraction to visitors in 1941, who have since come to experience the odd physical effects.
The Mystery Spot was California's first gravity-defying attraction and the state's best-known illusion site in the mid-20th century. It appeared on Art Baker's television show You Asked for It, in a 1948 Life magazine spread featuring the McCray family, and later in BuzzFeed and the Santa Cruz Sentinel.
Guided tours last about half an hour and explain the physical phenomena that guests can observe inside and around the cabin. Online reservations are advisable during summer months, as the location attracts many visitors.
The cabin stands at roughly a 20-degree angle to one side, which creates physical sensations in visitors as if water flows uphill. This effect arises from the combination of tilt and surroundings that trick the body's balance system.
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