Gold Hill, OR

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: nope. Delightful trick of perception: unquestionably.