The Mystery Hole, perhaps West Virginia's best-known roadside attraction, is on the market.
The purported gravitational anomaly housed inside a Volkswagen-pierced quonset hut perched along U.S. 60 atop a cliff overlooking the New River Gorge near Ansted can be yours for $495,000.
While owners Will and Sandy Morrison plan to open the Fayette County tourist stop for its 43rd season on Friday, "they eventually want to retire and move south," said Kenny Bryant of Coldwell Banker Mountaineer Real Estate in Beckley, which is listing the property.
The Morrisons, from Michigan, bought the Mystery Hole in 1999, one year after the death of its creator and original operator, Donald R. Wilson.
Wilson, a retired Navy veteran and former Carbider, personally led tourists into his underground realm, using a self-scripted spiel that blended corny humor, evangelical themes, local history, politics and nature lore to explain the mysterious properties of his attraction, in which balls appear to roll uphill and guests find themselves able to stand at impossible angles and partially walk up walls.
"You do the walking and I'll do the talking," Wilson told his guests, as he led them past a female mannequin labeled "Miss New River Gorgeous" and an obviously stuffed alligator he felt compelled to point out was not actually alive.
The Morrisons, who heard about the Mystery Hole from a friend who considered buying the site but balked, visited the Ansted area and decided to give operating the tourist attraction a try. Will Morrison's mother grew up in the area before moving to Michigan. The Mystery Hole had been closed for two years at the time of the purchase, and the Morrisons spent about two months cleaning, painting and preparing the site reopening in 1999, using much of the kitsch and chatter employed by Wilson.
The Mystery Hole is perched on a 1.96-acre lot that includes a cabin and a storage building, with an additional 10 adjacent acres available to a potential buyer interested in expanding or buffering the attraction.
According to Coldwell Banker Mountaineer Real Estate's website posting, The Mystery Hole is a "long-standing tourist destination close to the New River Gorge Bridge, rafting, Hawks Nest State Park and the [Summit Bechtel] Boy Scout Reserve. The business is well established on tourism sites and is an excellent business opportunity."
Reach Rick Steelhammer at rsteelhammer@wvgazettemail.com, 304-348-5169 or visit @rsteelhammer on Twittter.