Mark Cline was born in Waynesboro, Virginia in 1961. Sculpting came naturally to him as he created this snow sculpture of the Statue of Liberty in his parent’s front yard at the age of eight. Mark is in the middle surrounded by his brothers. In 1982, Mark moved to Natural Bridge and opened the first Monster Museum displaying his never before seen monsters of the subconscious fear, like the ones in the attic, under the bed and in the closet. The Museum closed in 1984 and reopened the following year as the Enchanted Castle.To supplement ticket sales, Mark began freelancing his work in 1985 and landed a lucrative contract with the Macado’s restaurant chain, building leprechauns, cartoon characters, and many other wacky displays.Mark met Jim Johnson of Virginia Beach in the late 80s, and worked with him designing several attractions on the main strip including the Nightmare Mansion, Rockin’ Rosie’s Funhouse, the Mirror Maze, Professor Cline’s Time Machine, and Cap’n Cline’s Pirate Adventure Ride. In 1992, Mark opened the Enchanted Castle Studio Tours, a Willy Wonka style walk through his studio, where guests could see and experience special effects as they were being created. Here, Mark addresses a crowd before launching Pig Linda, the bungee-jumping, fiberglass pig.In April, 2001 the Enchanted Castle was destroyed by fire. Arson was suspected. This is how the studio looked before the fire.In 2008, Mark began appearing in ads for the state of Virginia to promote Virginia tourism. Here, he is seen with Governor Kaine at the state capital, in Richmond promoting “Virginia is for Lovers”.Mark remains busier than ever with his entertainment and sculpting business. His work can be seen all over the United States and in many other countries. http://www.enchantedcastlestudios.com/
Click on each photo below and take a walk through Mark's life.
"You've got talent, intelligence, and a wonderful spirit of adventure"

~ George Takei           "Mr. Sulu", Star Trek