‘Haunted’ Mansion Listed on eBay
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Theme Park Connection(DULUTH, Ga.) — Will you find it delightfully unlivable in this ghostly retreat? A nearly 10,000-square-foot replica of the Disneyland Haunted Mansion attraction can be yours if the price is right, ghosts not included.
Posted Wednesday on eBay, the four-story Georgia home includes a “hitchhiking ghost” surprise in a first-floor bathroom, as well as white pillars and iron railings on the home’s porch modeled on the popular attraction. A welcome plaque greets visitors at the front gate identical to the Disneyland attraction.
The home was listed by Theme Park Connection, one of the largest reseller shops of Disney items since 1995, as a way to spread the word about the home’s listing to a wider Disney-loving audience. Theme Park Connection owner Marc Pianko told ABC News the Haunted Mansion replica is “our most unique Disney item to date.”
Mark Hurt, a contractor who has worked with Disney theme parks building animatronics through his company Constructioneer, designed the home in 1996 in the quiet, gated community of Duluth, Ga. Inspired by the work of Walt Disney, Hurt was compelled to model his home after Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion Attraction, which was one of the last works Walt envisioned before his death in 1966.
A few years later, in 1969, the New Orleans Square Haunted Mansion opened its doors in the Anaheim, Calif., park, 14 years after Disneyland opened. The Haunted Mansion was then built in Orlando’s Disney World, as well in Disney theme parks throughout the world.
The appeal of the outdoor décor, as well as the haunting ghostly theme, attracted Hurt to dream up his own Haunted Mansion replica. Using his connections at Disney, Hurt was able to do a walk-around of the mansion, recording exact dimensions and elements from the original attraction.
He even found the actual foundry that Walt Disney used to make the iron details, and welded it all to his home. He built in flickering lights and a reflection mirror in one of the six bathrooms, which sure gives unsuspecting guests the spooks. Everything else in the seven-bedroom, six-bathroom home was added to make the home more suitable for everyday living.
Throughout the 16 years that homeowner Hurt, his wife and son lived in the residence, he has thrown numerous parties and hosted two weddings. But in all the time he lived in his dream-turned-reality Mansion, he never had the “haunted” experience that attracts visitors.
This listing can be yours for $873,000. Real estate agents, media and pre-qualified people will be able to view the home that will be listed on eBay until Nov. 2. Hurt can accept or deny any lower bids.
Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio