Magnetic Hill
A Gravity Illusion Hill Where A Car Left In Neutral Appears To Roll Uphill, An Optical Effect Caused By The Surrounding Landscape, First Publicised In The 1930s. The Site Has A Toll For The Drive, A Zoo And A Water Park. Small And Quick, Best Treated As A Stop On The Way To Fundy. · Moncton, New Brunswick
Magnetic Hill is a small roadside novelty west of Moncton, New Brunswick, on Mountain Road. You drive to the bottom of a short slope, stop at the marked spot, put the car in neutral and take your foot off the brake. The car then seems to roll slowly uphill. It does not. The effect is an optical illusion: the horizon and surrounding land mislead the eye, so a gentle downhill looks like an uphill. There is no magnetism and no force pulling the car, whatever the name suggests. The site charges a toll per car, and it also holds a zoo, a water park and a stage, all separate attractions with their own tickets (confirm names and prices). Treat it as a short, cheap-ish curiosity rather than a destination. It suits families with children, road trippers and anyone who enjoys a harmless trick. Allow 10 to 20 minutes for the illusion, more only if you pay for the zoo or water park. Confirm the toll and seasonal hours.
Roadside gravity-illusion hill on Mountain Road west of Moncton, with a toll booth, a zoo, a water park and a show stage at the same site, Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada
The hill is a seasonal attraction, usually operating in the warmer months with daytime hours and a staffed toll booth, and it may close or run reduced hours outside the main season. Exact dates and times change from year to year, so confirm them before driving out. The zoo, the water park and any show stage run on their own schedules; a water park is normally open only in summer, and the zoo may keep different hours from the hill. Weather can close the water park and slow the road in winter. The toll covers the drive and the illusion only, not entry to the other attractions. Nearby cafes and fuel stops in Moncton keep standard hours.