Entry No. 34 — the Santa Cruz file — filed under: gravity hill

The Mystery Spot

A 1940s-vintage "gravity hill" on a steep redwood hillside where balls roll uphill, people stand at impossible angles, and a tilted wooden cabin scrambles every sense of level and plumb. Open since 1939 and almost defiantly unchanged — the yellow bumper sticker is practically a Santa Cruz license plate.

The move: Book a timed 45-minute guided tour, take turns on the slanted plank watching each other seem to grow and shrink, then claim the free bumper sticker on the way out and see whose car it ends up on.

📍 Before you go Timed guided tours; buy tickets ahead on busy weekends, and the walk up is steep.

📍 Santa Cruz
💸 $$
⚡ Up for anything
🌗 Outdoors

Where: 465 Mystery Spot Rd, Santa Cruz, CA 95065

Hours: Added 2026-07-19 — confirm current hours before you go.

#gravity hill #optical illusion #roadside attraction #tilted room #1939

Plan a visit & invite your people →

Further reading: Official site · Atlas Obscura · Wikipedia

last checked: 2026-07-19