The word “vortex” simply means a whirpool of force, like a whirling mass of water. The Oregon Vortex is a spherical field of force, half above the ground and half below the ground. What is a Vortex?Īccording to the Oregon Vortex website, a vortex is explained as follows: Despite Litster’s best efforts, the powers at play at the vortex remain a mystery, Some visitors have even stormed off because the vortex challenges their beliefs on how the world works. Litster’s ‘Notes and Data’ booklet attributes the strangeness of the location to warped atoms, electromagnetic energy, even a subterranean super-machine left behind by prehistoric aliens. But it seems unlikely, the Orgeon Vortex and Mystery House is in a terrible spot for enterprise - it’s off a wooded hillside on a narrow and dangerous road in the middle of nowhere - not a real prime location for tourism! Skeptics of the vortex report that Litster was just a con-man, looking to make a quick buck off of tourists. It’s one of Oregon’s oldest examples of a western roadside attraction. Their daughter has kept the attraction open since then. He conducted thousands of experiments within the vortex until his death in 1959.Īfter Litster’s death, his wife sold the Oregon Vortex to Ernie and Irene Cooper. Litster ended up developing the area and opened it to the public in 1930. He soon convinced his friend, John Litster, who was a geologist and engineer to come from Scotland and research the strange phenomena in the area. In 1914, the assay office were rediscovered by a gold prospector named William McCollugh. The building resembles other ‘distorting rooms’ like the Santa Cruz Mystery Spot. The office ended up sliding from its foundations in the early 1910s, coming to a rest at a very odd angle. The story goes that a gold assay office was constructed there in 1904 by the Old Grey Eagle Mining Company. Local legend in the area states that prior to any sort of construction in the area, Native Americans referred to the land as ‘forbidden,’ and travelers that were passing through would experience strange behavior from their horses as they refused to enter the area.

However, the attraction’s owners swear they are a result of unexplained properties of the area.ĭare to experience the unexplained of the west for yourself? Take a visit to this vortex of mystery or book a ghost tour with us to live the hauntings of America up close and personal! History and Background The ‘vortex’ consists of a number of interesting effects, which are thought to be nothing more than gravity hill optical illusions. A picturesque landscape with lush forest, the Oregon Vortex has been delighting and mystifying visitors since its inception. It’s located on Sardine Creek in Gold Hill, Oregon. The Oregon Vortex is a historical Americana roadside attraction that first began welcoming guests in 1930.

Gold hill oregon vortex