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Oregon Vortex
A tourist attraction founded around a slumping cabin
Category Mystery Spots and Gravity Hills
In the early 20th century, a small office built for a local mining company began sliding down a hill, eventually resting at an odd angle to its foundation. From this simple accident a tourist attraction was born.
The owners, the Cooper family, say the building slid down the hill because of a magnetic force, that forms what the Coopers call a "vortex." This force, they claim, also causes all sorts of other "paranormal activity" around the hill, where balls appear to roll uphill and broomsticks seem to stand on end. The Cooper family also claims that the Native Americans thought this space was forbidden ground, and their horses would not enter it, though local Native Americans may say otherwise.
Skeptics, and those with a good pair of eyes or sense of orientation, will point out that it is the distorted building that makes the objects and people around it appear at different heights. The perceived distortions are due to a forced perspective which makes shapes appear larger or smaller due to a distorted background. A classic example of this is an Ames room in which people appear to grow in size as they walk across it. Magnetic vortex: probably not. Delightful trick of perception: unquestionably.
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- Hours March - May, Sept - Oct: Mon-Sun: 9-4; June - Aug: Mon-Sun: 9-5
- Website The House of Mystery
- Address 4303 Sardine Creek L Fork RD, Gold Hill, Oregon, United States
- Cost 12 - 61: $9; 62 and above: $8; 6-12: $7; Under 5: Free
Coming on I-5 Southbound, from Eugene, Portland, or Washington: Take Exit 43 off of I-5 and turn left at the end of the offramp. At the end of the overpass, turn right onto Highway 99. Follow the road over Rock Point Bridge and continue on Highway 99 to the right. Turn left onto Sardine Creek Road a quarter mile after the billboard. Follow Sardine Creek Road for 3 miles and continue left at the fork, following the creek. Follow Sardine Creek Left Fork Road 1.3 miles to The Oregon Vortex. Coming on I-5 Northbound, from Ashland, Medford, or California: Take Exit 40 off of I-5 and turn right at the end of the offramp. Turn left at Highway 99, towards Gold Hill. Follow Highway 99 for 2 miles through Gold Hill. Turn right at the large billboard onto Sardine Creek Road. Follow Sardine Creek Road for 3 miles and continue left at the fork, following the creek. Follow Sardine Creek Left Fork Road 1.3 miles to The Oregon Vortex.
Comments
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Have been here 2 times in the past 3 years. Some folks are believers, some are not. Not sure how "magic" can make the trees grow in such weird ways, nor could I figure out the "magic" behind the noxious feelings from the moment I stepped on the grounds, to leaving the grounds. Love it and have told many people about it.
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Anonymous
February 15, 2010
I visited the Oregon Vortex several years ago and not all the unusual things occur inside a building having a forced perspective. One thing I remember occurred right outside, in the open. Two people -- volunteers -- first stood side-by-side then moved a few feet apart. As they did so, the shorter one appeared to gain height and the taller one appeared to lose it. When they traded places, their heights appear to reverse -- the taller one appeared much taller and the shorter much shorter. I was with a group and we were allowed to stand anywhere we wanted, all around them, while watching this. After, we were allowed to do the same thing with our spouses and traveling companions. Several of us did it while others watched and they reported the same appearance of the changing of height. I can't figure out how it was done. We were right out under the trees, honest. -- Tourist from Seattle -
Anonymous
November 12, 2009
i went up there when it was off-season.parked nearby and picked up 20-30 radio am stations like they were right in my car,as soon as i drove away it was back to one station at best
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Anonymous
October 17, 2009
The really cool thing unmentioned here is the broom that stands by itself in the slid down cabin. You can pick it, move it, and it stands upright on it's bristles. That's the only thing I could not figure out/understand. Kind of pricy though, and it's the middle of nowhere, in that Southern Oregon, is not a vortex, it's a vacuum (IE, it sucks!!) From someone who lives about fifteen miles from there, and knows!!
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they have a room like this at Knotts' Berry Farm in Buena Park, Ca. made me dizzy
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It's an interesting place, if you go in knowing you're seeing a magic show, not a paranormal experience. But there's nothing there that can't be explained by traditional optical illusion and babble-as-truth. For example, you're told "planes even avoid this area - it's marked on charts". Nope, no such marking on the sectionals nearby. And that the house "slide down to here", but that doesn't explain why the boards were cut unsquare. Still, it's a decent magic show, worth the price of admission, but only if you don't take it seriously.
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