Today, August 16, happens to be National Roller Coaster Day. As the story goes, it was on this date back in 1898 that the first vertical loop roller coaster was patented by Edwin Prescott. On a more localized side note of interest, let it be known that the actual first patent for what was at the time referred to as an “Improvement in Inclined Railways” was submitted in 1872 by none other than Baltimore native J.G. Taylor.
The history may be hazy but the fact remains that celebrating National Roller Coaster Day is an occasion often marked by visiting one’s favorite amusement parks and riding all those thrilling roller coaster classics of great acclaim. Folks throughout the Mid-Atlantic have no shortage of great options to choose from, including some of the country’s oldest roller coasters still in existence today. For this Flashback Friday Feature, I’m letting you know which ones they are and where you can find them.
A Brief History of the Roller Coaster
The earliest origins of the roller coaster can be traced back to 18th-century Russia. These assumed the form of ice hills and were situated in such places as palace gardens throughout Saint Petersburg. Into the next century, technological innovations continued to evolve where these diversions were concerned, and it is even believed that Russian soldiers in Paris between 1815 and 1816 after Napoleon’s defeat at Waterloo introduced the general public to the earliest roller coaster constructs. Later, in July 1817, a French banker named Nicolas Beaujon opened the amusement park Parc Beaujon on the Champs Elysees, with its featured Promenades Aériennes, alternately known as “Aerial Strolls.”
On the American front, the very first amusement park-based coaster attraction premiered in 1884 at Coney Island in Brooklyn, New York. It was known as the Switchback Railway. Like most early coasters, it was constructed out of wood. Designed by LaMarcus Adna Thompson, the coaster stood 50 feet high, spanned a length of 600 feet, featured a 43-foot drop, and went at a maximum speed of six miles per hour. The riding duration was a minute long.
While no longer a current feature at Coney Island, it cannot be denied that this premier coaster set the stage for such attractions to become staples at emerging amusement parks nationwide. And now I turn my focus to those in our Mid-Atlantic region still operating today.
Jack Rabbit
The Jack Rabbit opened in 1920. Designed and built by John A. Miller and Harry C. Baker, this 104-year-old wooden coaster stands 40 feet high, spans a length of 2,132 feet, features a 70-foot drop, and reaches speeds of up to 45 mph.
You’ll find the Jack Rabbit on location at Kennywood Park in West Mifflin, Pennsylvania.
Leap-The-Dips
Built in 1902 by the Federal Construction Company, this wooden coaster isn’t just the oldest in the Mid-Atlantic; it is the oldest standing coaster in the entire world and is believed to be the last surviving side friction roller coaster of the figure-eight variety still in existence. In 1996 it was even added to the National Park Service’s list of National Historic Landmarks.
The roller coaster was designed by E. Joy and stands 41 feet tall with a length of 1,452 feet. It features a nine-foot drop and reaches speeds of 10 mph.
Leap-The-Dips is housed at historic Lakemont Park near Altoona, Pennsylvania.
Racer
As the name implies, the Racer is a racing roller coaster that opened to the public back in 1927. Designed by John A. Miller and constructed by Charlie Mach, this still-running coaster features a Möbius loop layout where both racing trains travel along a singular continuous track. Each train car returns to the opposite side of the station from which it started.
The Racer stands 72.5 feet high, has a length of 4,500 feet, and boasts a 50-foot drop. It achieves a maximum speed of 40 mph.
Like the aforementioned Jack Rabbit, the Racer makes its home in Kennywood.
The Wild One
When it first opened at its former location of Paragon Park (Hull, Massachusetts) in 1917 it was known as “Giant Coaster.” Again, John A. Miller was the designer, along with Herbert Schmeck. Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters manufactured the wooden coaster, which stands 98 feet tall with a length of 4,000 feet and a drop of 88 feet. It reaches speeds up to 60 mph.
Following the closure of Paragon Park in 1984, the coaster was sold to Wild World, which has since been revamped as Six Flags America in Upper Marlboro, Maryland. It reopened at that theme park as “The Wild One” and now stands out as the oldest roller coaster at any Six Flags chain location.
Thunderbolt
Formerly named “Pippin,” here you have another classic designed by John A. Miller. The original trains were eventually replaced in 1958 by three Century Flyer trains constructed by the National Amusement Device Company. Additional renovations and expansions that came later in 1968 were designed by Any Vettle.
The Thunderbolt stands at a stately 70 feet high and boasts a length of 3,250 feet. It features a 90-foot drop and has a maximum speed of 55 mph.
It too is a beloved historic staple attraction you will find at Kennywood.
Thunderhawk
Designed by Herbert Paul Schmeck and manufactured by Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters, this wooden coaster has been in operation since 1924. At the time it was known simply as “The Coaster” and wasn’t renamed as “Thunderhawk” until 1989.
As the oldest still-operating coaster in the Cedar Fair chain, Thunderhawk stands an impressive 80 feet tall and spans a length of 2,767 feet. It features a 65-foot drop and reaches speeds of up to 45 mph.
You will find Thunderhawk on location at Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom in Allentown, Pennsylvania.
There are so many other historic roller coasters that are still in operation at amusement parks all over the Mid-Atlantic today. Additionally, you’ll discover numerous other non-coaster antiquated attractions that remain active transcending favorites with old folks and youngsters alike. That just proves the timelessness of these rides in general and how their unending perpetual popularity continues to appeal to crowds today just as much as they did decades and in some cases more than a century ago.