Growing up about 20 miles south of the Irish Hills, Nathan Wakefield was a regular visitor to “ southern Michigan’s vacation land.”
The region along US 12 was filled with roadside attractions, where kids like Wakefield could climb towers, traverse a prehistoric forest and see blacksmiths and saloons in scenes that mimicked Western films.
Today, most of those roadside stops in Jackson and Lenawee counties have disappeared, casualties of changing tourism
preferences and a steady decline in traffic after I-94 diverted motorists from what had been a primary route between Detroit and Chicago.
One of Wakefield’s favorites still stands, though, and this year, he bought it: Mystery Hill, known for its gravity-defying house, and the three acres it sits on.
It’s an attempt to encourage “generational nostalgia,” the Adrian native told Bridge Michigan, noting he did not want the attraction to go the way of others that have fallen into disrepair or long ago closed.
“I’m just elated to be a part of this ongoing legacy,” Wakefield added.
Mystery Hill is one of the few remaining roadside attractions in the Irish Hills, a region that still attracts tourists for its natural beauty and the Michigan International Speedway.
The area was once home to Frontier City and Stagecoach Stop, roadside attractions that had a bank, blacksmith, general store, jailhouse, livery stable and saloon, all popular establishments featured in popular Western films.
They closed in 1974 and 2007, respectively.
With new technology increasingly competing for attention, roadside attractions that remain viable “offer full-body experiences like putt-putt golf or go-kart racing” — things people “can’t do virtually,” said Michelle McLemore, one of the historians for Cambridge Township in the Irish Hills.
“At Mystery Hill, you can … go inside, explore the building to see and feel the craziness with the gravity,” McLemore said.
Prehistoric Forest, a dinosaur-themed amusement park in the area, also met its demise in 2002 and was left abandoned until 2019, when Sandra Crabb, who grew up in Dearborn, purchased it with hopes to restore the park.
The restoration never happened, and now, the Irish Hills Print Co. is operating on the property, according to the Cambridge Township Clerk.
One of the reasons Mystery Hill was able to stand the test of time is that it doesn’t have as much overhead as some of the other roadside attractions, McLemore said. “They don’t require as many people to employ … or a bunch of food vendors,” she added.
Nearby Bauer Manor, along US 12, had served as a fine-dining restaurant where customers could enjoy a “fancy” meal while overlooking Evans Lake. It closed in 2003.
Unlike many of the roadside attractions he remembers from childhood, Mystery Hill remained remarkably well preserved, something Wakefield noticed immediately when he returned for a visit last year.
“I left thinking, ‘Wow, it’d be nice to own something like this,’” he recalled. “I’m surprised it’s in such good condition. I’m glad somebody swooped in and kind of kept the legacy going.”
That somebody was Dirk Dole, of California, who purchased Mystery Hill in 2022 and added an oddities museum and a gemstone mining experience.
“He’ll buy these roadside attractions, fix them up, and flip them, and then sell them to locals that are really passionate and can run them,” Wakefield said.
“Between my business acumen as well as my show business background, it just felt like a total perfect match.”
For the past 15 years, Wakefield has worked as a professional sideshow artist, performing stunts like lying on a bed of nails, juggling and eating fire. He said he wants to bring experiences like that to Mystery Hill.
“I’ve seen this firsthand: So many people show up with their kids or their grandkids, and they say, ‘Man, I remember coming here when I was a kid, and so I just had to bring my kids or my grandkids to check it out,’” Wakefield said.
He plans to continue operating the famous gravitational house tours that have made Mystery Hill a destination for generations, but he also hopes to transform the property into a broader family entertainment destination.
His emphasis on nostalgia and family experiences aligns with messaging from Pure Michigan, the state’s tourism arm.
“As new generations of travelers are looking to both create new memories and revisit familiar stops when planning their vacations, attractions like Mystery Hill in Irish Hills add to the unique yet nostalgic experiences that are waiting to be discovered throughout Michigan’s two peninsulas,” said Vice President Kelly Wolgamott.
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This story was originally published by Bridge Michigan and distributed through a partnership with The Associated Press.
