Some tourist traps are so charming that travelers smile and play along. The Mystery Spot (mysteryspot.com) is one such place, a 150ft-diameter zone in the redwood forest north of Santa Cruz that's said to defy gravity and has scarcely changed since it opened in 1940. On a steeply sloping hillside, compasses seem to point crazily, mysterious forces push you around and buildings lean at silly angles. It's a wacky insight into American road-trip history: the 1940s and '50s were a boom-time for entrepreneurs building novel attractions to encourage drivers to come their way (and part with their cash).
Timed tours by warm and witty guides lead you up the painfully steep walkway where you'll be treated to various "scientific" demonstrations. (Spoiler: they're visual illusions triggered by the tilted angles of the wooden cabin built on site. Or are they?!)
The Mystery Spot is popular. Book ahead online or risk not getting on a tour, and note it's cash only for walk-ins. It's about 4 miles northeast of downtown: take Water St to Market St north and continue on Branciforte Dr into the hills. Parking costs $5. It's open 10am to 5pm Monday–Friday, to 9pm Saturday and Sunday.
