The Crooked House: Adventure Island’s oldest attraction

With a mind-bending hall of mirrors, sloping hallways and disorientating interior design, the Crooked House has been entertaining guests at Adventure Island for more than 70 years. Despite undergoing multiple facelifts, the attraction remains true to its original form and is as popular as ever.

The Crooked House: Adventure Island's oldest attraction (Image: George Pizani)

For college student Matthew Malkes, hosting visitors to the Crooked House has proved an interesting first job.

“I’ve been working here since the end of May, so I’m fairly new. For my first job, I think I’ve lucked out,” he said.

Working on the Crooked House not only involves handling admission, but also making sure guests have a truly memorable time. 

For Matthew, the best part of the job is “making the kids’ day”. He said: “When I’m on the ride, I have to make sure the kids are getting the most from it, but I also have to include the adults

“It’s about retaining customers and getting everyone included.”

Matthew Malkes,17, outside the Crooked House (Image: George Pizani)

For thrill seekers who have braved the park’s larger rides before heading inside the Crooked House, the attraction’s kaleidoscopic interior can be a dangerously nauseating experience.

“Some people have thrown up inside the crooked house and that requires a lot cleaning! That’s probably the craziest thing we see inside the ride,” said Matthew.

“There was a time when someone walked through, got halfway through the hallway and was very, very ill. It fell on me to clean it up and it wasn’t very nice – gloves, water, bleach, everything”.

The Crooked House was one of the few attractions on Southend’s seafront to survive horrific floods of 1953, which claimed the lives of 120 people in Essex and inflicted huge damage on the town.

For Adventure Island Operations director James Miller, the Crooked House “is a treasured part of our culture and will never be replaced”.

“It’s been restored multiple times since 1976 and has been encased with fibreglass. Though it may be dated, it is loved across generations.”