Behind the scenes – Hex at Alton Towers
Hex was included as part of a behind the scenes tour of Alton Towers I did with Club Pleasure Beach earlier this year. The tours included attractions like Rita, Duel and Air, ive just never got round to publishing this set of photographs.
This article isnt going to be a ride spoiler as such, more an in depth looking behind the scenes of one of the parks most spectacular dark rides.
Hex is a Vekoma Haunted Swing ride, it has operated at the park since 2000. Its located in the towers and well you cant really miss a big great tower.
The control room for Hex is around the back of the towers. Here’s a couple of shots of the main ride operators console.
In the shot below you can see a screen just where the operators elbow is. This controls the full attraction from start to finish the music/effects everything. Its all perfectly timed for the audience. Just behind the green wall is the final queue line to get into the ride chamber itself.
And a close up of the panel (for the guy in Canada who said it wasnt made by Vekoma.!
The rotating room.
*SPOILER*
As you have probably guessed the attraction sits inside a huge drum similar to a washing machine with a center pivot for the seats. the room rotates in huge pit and its quite difficult to get a decent picture, but heres my effort anyway.
This is a picture taken from the side of the attraction looking up, the big white steel bar is the pivot point for the seats.
This is taken from the first operators console looking back at the queue line.
A couple of similar views at different angles.
Turning around now looking at the operators console.
Ever wondered what those numbers are whilst your queuing for Hex. Basically it tells the operator how many people have passed through the entry turnstile. Hex has a capacity of 78 people every few minutes, once they hit 78 the pre show starts.
Once through the turn style this is where you wait for the rest of the customers.
Once enough people are in the queue the doors in front are open and you enter the video room.
Inside the video room.
Im not going to spoil this for anyone, if you want to see the show theres a copy on youtube.
After the show which lasts a few minutes the doors open and your led into the next room.
Again I wont spoil this for anyone who hasn’t been through Hex, so heres a few photographs.
The lighting rig in the center of the room, this is dropped to the floor during winter for maintenance.
The theming in Hex is fantastic.
After a short time you are lead through to the ride.
Seats.
And finally the fallen branch. – Don’t know what this means then take a trip through Hex next time your at Alton Towers.
Thats the end of the tour, thanks to Alton towers and Club pleasure beach for arranging this tour, we also viewed a few more attractions at Alton towers this day, to see a complete list of behind the scenes tours on ridemad click Behind the scenes
If you want to use any photographs on this blog please get in touch paul@ridemad.com im quite happy to share and have high resolution copies of everything used, to see the complete gallery visit the Ridemad Gallery
Thanks for Reading.
They dont have it anymore, you may need a trip further south to pick it up ;-) 
hi there im going to buy the black hole from alton towers when i work for them. 
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Comment by Staberdearth on 13 November 2007:
I am not the ride geek here…but my son is.
He has worked for an amusement ride engineering firm We endured Hex back in 2000. We waited in line for the longest period of time we have ever waited for a ride and were totally underwhelmed by the experience. We were somewhat amazed by the buildup and hype for such a lame experience. It was as bad as the hype on the now removed, in May 2005, Togo roller coaster at Six Flags Great Adventure in NJ.
Comment by pbeesley on 15 November 2007:
Hi,
Im sorry you didn’t think much of hex, Im a big fan of dark rides and love it. The whole experience from the initial video through to the ride experience is great for me. I suppose at the time in 2000 with the ride only just opening the queues would be mad.
They are nothing like that these days.
Comment by alex on 15 July 2008:
hi
how did they fit a huge drum inside a small set of walls. is it underground. i have been on it before.
Comment by Devil worshiper on 17 July 2008:
Hi I am a super goth and I love rides like this and by the way has anyone been in “THE Haunting” at Drayton Manor theme park?
Its a great ride pretty freaky but can be pretty lame as well.
Anyway email me on georgelwindsor@aol.com
for more gothic info or gothic rides
Comment by CHEVY6600 on 24 July 2008:
Hi alex, i have been on the HEX ride during a week day when the park was not busy, myself wife and daughter went on HEX when there was NOBODY else there, not even an attendant, though there must of been some one operating it some where….i think!…it was the most spooky experience we had had, we have been on the HEX before, but in a crowed, most of the lights were out, the second room with the projected film was TOTALY black…could not even see my daughter who was clutching me, Ha.
Any way when i got back i looked up the story of the HEX and it would appear that the ride itself is in a building made for it, just out side, you can go to the alton towers web site and see how they made the rides, and the pictures of the exterior of the HEX ride.
Comment by kirsty on 23 February 2009:
hex is gud ride
Comment by ben on 13 April 2009:
my mate says that hex realy takes you trough the castle, but i say its in a tin building behind the castle can anyone help me tell him im right!
Comment by Nine on 22 April 2009:
Ben – you’re in the building up until when you leave the Octagon and walk up the stairs past the bookcase. Everything past that point is the specially-built show building behind the Towers
Comment by shelbyy on 1 June 2009:
omg this ride was crap i mean i dint even get it and it wasnt spooky or scary just wired :S
Comment by Dr Caution on 4 July 2009:
Sorry but anyone who thinks the Hex ride is a “lame experience” or “crap” has no imagination, I feel so deeply sorry for you to experience life with no imagination, It must be so bland
.
But hay
, we are all different.
Hex and rides like Hex are fecking great, thanks for posting the pics and info.
Comment by G on 20 July 2009:
Dr Caution must have an overactive imagination. Its the crappiest ride I have ever been on period! The build up is fantastic and with huge queues (last year by the way) which made me think I have to see this. In the end it was just pathetic. I wish I could of got the hour or so back of queue time back!
Comment by Angela George on 12 August 2009:
My family all 4 of us experienced this ride yesterday, Me and my husband are 31 and my 2 kids are 6 and 7, We all found this ride brilliant, well apart from the youngest who was terrified. At first and during the ride, it actually felt like we were turning upside down, I got extremely panicked for the kids, thinking they were going to fall out, its amazing the mind tricks it plays, as after the ride my husband had explained that we hadnt actually gone all the way round. (obviously as noone fell out).
I found it truly amazing and very scary (apart from hubby) but he still enjoyed it, this is based on our opinion, Im not trying to force it onto anyone, I would like to point out though thast it did actually state on the notice board prior to entering that it wasnt a white knuckle ride, so really for those expecting more, maybe they shud have read the board first.
Comment by amy on 4 September 2009:
whenever i go to alton towers hex always seems to have a tiny or no que.
i have been on the ride acouple of times and always get taken in by the story.
ive always been intrested in the behind the scenes of this ride as the illusion they create is fantastic and has most people believing the have turned all the way over
thanks for putting these pictures up.
Comment by Andy H on 5 September 2009:
I must have been on Hex in double figures now and it has probably the best excuse to be in a theme park since the demise of the Haunted House that gave way to that ‘Duel’ rubbish a few years ago. Technically, the ‘Haunted Swing’ has been around for years but the way that this has been incorporated into local lore is fantastic. Hex became my favourite due to it’s imagination. If you just want to experience speed and G-force – go to your local swing-park ! Living a real leend is what this part of Alton Towers is all about…. thank you for this experience.
Comment by Danielle on 29 March 2010:
I went on the Hex AT Alton towers, and let me tell you something, its bloody amazing. It played with my mind, and confussed me ALOT. But the second time i went in, it wasen’t that bad because i got it, the story. The story of the Hex cursed on the Earl was mind blowing, terrific and very very good. How one minuite your just sat there and then your moving around the room from side to side. Its confusing but good. I’ll deffently go again, i’ll telle you that. Thirteen, good ride, didn’t go on it because it was a hour long. Same story though just a bigger ride. tHANX FOR READING =d XXXXXXX
Comment by brad on 7 April 2010:
Went on Thirteen, Not sure what the hype was all about it was kind of disappointing if you ask me, Not to put anyone off though.
I bought the fasktrack tickets and the queue only took like 5-10minutes. Disappointed
Hex is great i love how it play’s with your mind, though i don’t recommend it to ‘Thrill seekers’
Comment by Olly on 9 April 2010:
Can anyone tell me if the middle moves at all?
Have to say I was a little underwhelmed – thought the story could have fit another ride better but it was quite an experience to thumbs up!
Comment by Admin on 10 April 2010:
Hi the middle does move in rotation with the seats, its not a very big angle though. im sure i heard 12-15 degrees.
Comment by Loopey on 17 April 2010:
i have been on hex as i recently went to alton towers i recomend this ride as it is spooky but cool…
Comment by LJM on 18 June 2010:
I’ve just got back from Alton Towers, where I went on both Hex & Thirteen (managed to get on the latter just before it was closed down – again!). Hex, in my opinion, was the better ride because it was so disorientating. First of all I felt as if I had somehow been magnatised, then my mind just got very confused. The build-up to the ride was, to my mind, a bit unengaging – however, that’s a personal reaction. But it actually made the quality of the actual ride so much more unexpected. Definitely one to go on.
Comment by erin on 3 March 2011:
ive been on it the chairs move not upside down back and forards and the room spins a rount its sick have you heard the story
Comment by xXxEmilyXxX on 5 August 2011:
wow! I went this ride in july 2011 but only jsut dicovered this website this week! when I listened to the story I felt petriflyed but my when i got on the ride I was enjoying it loads!
Comment by maidbloke on 2 October 2011:
Went on Hex for the first time a few days ago. We only went in because the queue was short. Had absolutely no idea what was going to happen. When the ride first started I couldn’t work out what was happening. Very disorientating. Your body is experiencing forces but your eyes are telling you you’re not moving! Then I worked out what was going on. Very cleverly done.
Thanks for the pics, interesting to see behind the scenes.
Comment by neil watson on 18 December 2011:
im a ride expert benn in towers times and vip at alton towers i beleive its a vekoma ride called the haunted swing there are three i know of altons hex draytons haunting which is the smaller version of hex and eftelings villa volta the sameride as altons but themed differently please e mail me any thing u want to know joeydotty@gmx.co.uk
Comment by neil watson on 18 December 2011:
to the person who said does the middle move i beleive thats the weight of some sort drayton manors has the brass stand like things thats the pivot ithink for it to rotate on
Comment by Admin on 19 December 2011:
Hi,
Hex is a Vekoma Madhouse ride.