With much of life on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the need to practice good social distancing, one of the questions looming over all of this waiting is what will be left of the world we once had before everything changed? Restaurants and businesses of all kinds are particularly vulnerable, and many have made donations to various causes or made sure to order takeout from their favorite places to keep the lights on during a particularly vulnerable time.
One thing that may be overlooked are more obscure businesses, which is why Gravity Falls creator Alex Hirsch stepped up to save an important part of his creation’s own real-life history. Hirsch may have other projects brewing but he hasn’t forgotten the Disney show that’s still beloved by a legion of fans. And when a California roadside attraction the show was based on was in danger, he asked for help to keep an extremely weird landmark safe for future generations to enjoy.
Earlier in the week, Hirsch shared a GoFundMe for Confusion Hill, explaining that the California roadside attraction served as the inspiration for the Mystery Shack the folks from Gravity Falls called home. The campaign, started by Kai Roath, hoped to raise $9,000 for the attraction, which was estimated would help cover a three-month gap in operation most likely necessary to help encourage social distancing amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Confusion Hill depends on visitors to survive and with the current situation, it will be highly doubtful they will be able to open the train ride season and snack bar in May, which really saves them after the slow, rainy winter.
With no idea when they will be able to re-open, all they can do is stay closed and lose money like so many others.As the entrance fee to the Gravity House is only $5, I am reaching out to you to with the humble suggestion to donate just that small amount.
If folks can donate $5 each, we can reach this goal together and help preserve one of the few, last unique roadside attractions in California. On a very-very slow day, Confusion Hill can make as little as $100.
The campaign called the attraction’s owner, Carol Campbell, an “honest and wonderful woman,” and it seems Hirsch agreed. His help amplifying the fundraiser got Gravity Falls fans involved in a big way, and he confirmed that Confusion Hill is a direct influence of the show.
https://twitter.com/_AlexHirsch/status/1252748237045260288
He also donated $1,000 to the cause himself, as he clearly feels he owes a great deal of the show’s success to its brain-bending real-life counterpart.
https://twitter.com/_AlexHirsch/status/1252749464550297600
And it seems to have worked. On Friday, Hirsch tweeted in celebration that Confusion Hill had been saved.
We DID IT! Thanks to your donations, we were able to save the REAL LIFE
🌲 Mystery Shack🌲, Confusion Hill, from being shut down! Thank you, gnome army! #SaveTheShack https://t.co/SZ4S8mF3xx pic.twitter.com/bxHTihFX19— Alex Hirsch (@_AlexHirsch) April 24, 2020
It seems like the $9,000 was all it needed to stay in operation, and fans had easily cruised past that mark to crack five figures in donations by the end of the day. It’s some rare good news in a world where many businesses are struggling, and hopefully the attraction can stay a weird part of California’s history for many years to come.
