9th Street Incline/Great American Disaster/Cyclone Sadies 1973 - Late 1980's

9th Street Incline and its following incarnations are one of those original attractions that really isn't talked a whole lot about, and because of that there really isn't that much information available on it. However, we will tell you what we know. 9th Street Incline was a walk through fun house, for those familiar with Grandfather's Mansion at Silver Dollar City it was a similar line of thought, slanted floors, optical illusions, etc. Like many original park attractions, 9th Street Incline pulls its name from Kansas City history. the original 9th Street Incline an actual cable car line or funicular that pulled riders from the West Bottoms up the bluff to downtown Kansas City, and operated in the early decades of the 20th century. (Pittsburgh, PA is the only city I can think of in the country that still has operating funiculars).

The Worlds of Fun version of the 9th Street Incline (in this case just a fun house) was located approximately where Cyclone Sadies Antique Photos is today, across from Vittle Griddle. 9th Street Incline was re-named and probably re-themed to the Great American Disaster in 1976, and finally once more in 1980 to Cyclone Sadies. Though no specifics are known about it in first two incarnations, we can provide at least a basic walk-through of what the experience was like as Cyclone Sadies. The entrance was approximately located where the airbrush artist is today, and exit was on the opposite side of the building just behind Game Street USA. (until the recent rehab in 2014 you could still see the outline of the door). Once inside, guests entered an "infinity" mirror room, which by the use of angles, and lights gave the illusion that the room went on into infinity. See the video below for another example of this rather common funhouse optical illusion. From there, guests would wind through a walkway of which at the end was a window to look into and see the actual "Cyclone Sadie" which was a basic animatronic with spoken lines. (though neither of us can remember what was said). From there, guests would walk into the slanted room, of which the remnants are visible even today. If you should walk into the current Antique Photos shop, look up to see the slanted ceiling which is all that is left of this optical-illusion room. Originally the room came complete with a bar, as well as two optical illusions of water running uphill, as well as a pool table with balls that would seem to roll uphill. Last, was "Old Numb Skull" a projected floating head that had the famous line of "I traded an arm and a leg just to get a head". It is unknown as to the exact year when Cyclone Sadies was removed, as an arcade with the same name and location replaced it, but it was most likely in the late 80's. Fascinating enough, though the attraction itself may be long gone the name lives on, in the current Cyclone Sadies Antique Photos.

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