Chimera House
Encyclopedia
The Chimera House is an urban legend
which consists of the usual young teens going out for a night on the town, only to stumble across a large, worn down multiple storey building where they are offered to go through a haunted attraction that consists of "real" horrors inside. In the story, the teens are asked to pay a certain amount of money (anywhere from 20-100 dollars) and told they will receive a portion back for every floor they complete. The twist is that no one has ever completed the house, and the ones who tried never came back out. Rumors state about the various horrors inside the house, from poisonous/deadly animals, to deformed humans, to the supernatural. Accounts vary as to the exact number of floors in the house, but most accounts give the house 13 floors.
The legend is usually set in the south or midwest since there are a large amount of open and unknown areas in those parts. The editor of Haunted Attraction Magazine believes the urban legend originally started in Kansas City while others have suggested that the legend was also inspired by real haunted attractions like Britannia Manor
and Raven's Grin Inn. Although the Chimera House has never been proven to exist, some people still search fervently for it and several haunted attractions are asked if they are the infamous 13 floor haunted house every October. Even the Wikipedia entry for haunted attraction
references the "haunted hospital" variation of the legend. The legend of the Chimera House has been fueled by both hoaxes and several haunted attractions
have tried to cash in on the legend by offering refunds if certain conditions are met.
Urban legend
An urban legend, urban myth, urban tale, or contemporary legend, is a form of modern folklore consisting of stories that may or may not have been believed by their tellers to be true...
which consists of the usual young teens going out for a night on the town, only to stumble across a large, worn down multiple storey building where they are offered to go through a haunted attraction that consists of "real" horrors inside. In the story, the teens are asked to pay a certain amount of money (anywhere from 20-100 dollars) and told they will receive a portion back for every floor they complete. The twist is that no one has ever completed the house, and the ones who tried never came back out. Rumors state about the various horrors inside the house, from poisonous/deadly animals, to deformed humans, to the supernatural. Accounts vary as to the exact number of floors in the house, but most accounts give the house 13 floors.
The legend is usually set in the south or midwest since there are a large amount of open and unknown areas in those parts. The editor of Haunted Attraction Magazine believes the urban legend originally started in Kansas City while others have suggested that the legend was also inspired by real haunted attractions like Britannia Manor
Britannia Manor
Britannia Manor is the residence of game designer Richard Garriott. The name comes from the castle of Lord British, ruler of Britannia, the setting of the Ultima computer role playing game series, which he created. Britannia Manor is situated atop a large hill near Austin, Texas...
and Raven's Grin Inn. Although the Chimera House has never been proven to exist, some people still search fervently for it and several haunted attractions are asked if they are the infamous 13 floor haunted house every October. Even the Wikipedia entry for haunted attraction
Haunted attraction
A haunted attraction is a form of entertainment that simulates the experience of entering a haunted location that might be inhabited by ghosts, monsters, criminals, humorous characters, and other such creatures...
references the "haunted hospital" variation of the legend. The legend of the Chimera House has been fueled by both hoaxes and several haunted attractions
have tried to cash in on the legend by offering refunds if certain conditions are met.
Media similarities
- The movie "House of 1000 CorpsesHouse of 1000 CorpsesHouse of 1000 Corpses is a 2003 exploitation horror film written and directed by Rob Zombie; it is his directorial debut. It was released in the United States on April 11, 2003 by Lions Gate Entertainment.-Plot:...
" by singer/film maker Rob ZombieRob ZombieRob Zombie is an American musician, film director, screenwriter and film producer. He founded the heavy metal band White Zombie and has been nominated three times as a solo artist for the Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance.Zombie has also established a career as a film director, creating the...
bears a slight resemblance to the Chimera House legend, where a group of teens encounter the bizarre and freakish in a run-down house.
- Diamond DogsDiamond Dogs, Turquoise DaysDiamond Dogs, Turquoise Days is a 2003 compilation of two science fiction novellas by writer Alastair Reynolds. Both are set in the Revelation Space universe, but are almost entirely unconnected with the plots of any of the novels in the same story arc....
, a short story by Alastair ReynoldsAlastair ReynoldsAlastair Preston Reynolds is a British science fiction author. He specialises in dark hard science fiction and space opera. He spent his early years in Cornwall, moved back to Wales before going to Newcastle, where he read physics and astronomy. Afterwards, he earned a PhD from St Andrews, Scotland...
, is about a group of people trying to get an alien artifact kept at the top of a tower protected by deathtraps.
- The anthologyAnthologyAn anthology is a collection of literary works chosen by the compiler. It may be a collection of poems, short stories, plays, songs, or excerpts...
"Haunted Houses" edited by Robert D. San Souci contains a short story inspired by the legend called "Chimera House," in which several inner-city kids are led to the infamous haunted attraction.