There are many aspects of mainstream, big-budget theme parks that you won’t find anywhere else, from the immersive and interactive theming of Universal Studio Orlando’s Diagon Alley to the lavish nighttime entertainment at the Disneyland Resort and world record-setting thrill rides at Six Flags Magic Mountain. If theme park history is what you’re after, however, you’ll need to branch out beyond most franchised theme parks.
These may not feature 90-degree freefalls and 150-m.p.h. top speeds of more modern marvels, but don’t be quick to dismiss older coasters on sight alone: Some have been running for well over a century and can still pack a punch with the best of them. Interested in taking a (virtual) roller coaster-themed trip around the world? Here are the five rides you need to experience…
Leap-The-Dips (1902)
Image: David Broussard, Flickr (license)
Where to find it: Lakemont Park, Altoona, Pennsylvania
You won’t be able to experience Leap-the-Dips again until the spring of 2019, after Lakemont’s latest renovation cycle is complete, but don’t worry: The oldest surviving roller coaster in the continental United States isn’t going anywhere just yet. Lakemont Park isn’t the oldest amusement park in the U.S.—that title belongs to Connecticut’s Lake Compounce, which officially opened in 1846 and has remained a staple of vintage theme parks over the last 172 years—but it’s been in operation since its days as a trolley park in 1894 and boasts a wide variety of family-friendly activities, including paddle boats, a merry-go-round, and a Ferris Wheel.
Leap-The-Dips itself is a 41-foot-tall wooden figure-eight roller coaster and supposedly one of the last of its kind anywhere in the world. It debuted to the public in 1902 and ran for 83 consecutive years before natural deterioration set in, forcing the park to shelve their iconic coaster for nearly a decade before they were finally able to raise the funds for a much-needed restoration and bring it back in 1999. Given the old-fashioned structural design of the coaster, Leap-The-Dips is more of a novelty than anything else: thrill-seekers will have to look elsewhere if they’re after a roller coaster that pushes beyond this ride’s 10-m.p.h. limit and nine-foot drop.
The Great Scenic Railway (1912)
Image: Ronald Lopez, Flickr (license)
Where to find it: Luna Park Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
Leap-The-Dips may be the oldest operational roller coaster in the world, but Melbourne’s Scenic Railway is the oldest coaster that has been in continuous operation since its inception in 1912 (that is, it held the title until it was forced to undergo lengthy renovations in 2014). A gravity switchback railway that tops out around 40 m.p.h., the Scenic Railway propels its two-ton train cars down a series of dips and hills before reversing course on its oval-shaped track.
As with most old coasters, frequent refurbishments are both necessary and inevitable, so it’s worth checking the park’s website before planning a visit. The Scenic Railway, in particular, can only be worked on in sections and takes a considerable length of time to get spruced up for the public. The park has been forced to take precautions with the roller coaster after multiple derailments and serious injuries to its passengers over the years. One such measure involves a brake operator, who stands in the middle of the cars and helps regulate the coaster’s speed in order to prevent the cars from over-accelerating on the turns.
Rutschebanen (1914)
Image: Leif Jørgensen, Wiki Commons (license)
Where to find it: Tivoli Gardena, Copenhagen, Denmark
Before there were the Matterhorn Bobsleds, there was… Rutschebanen? The iconic Tivoli Gardens roller coaster (whose name translates to, uh, “roller coaster”) was originally constructed for the 1914 Baltic Exhibition before it found a permanent home within Denmark’s famous gardens. While the Rutschebanen doesn’t feature the tubular tracks of Disneyland’s distinctive coaster, it sticks with the mountain theme as riders dip in and out of tunnels and caves at roughly 31 m.p.h. (For reference, Disneyland’s Bobsleds zip along at approximately 18 m.p.h.)
As with Luna Park’s Scenic Railway, a brake operator is employed to prevent the side friction coaster from upending the train cars on the sharper turns along the track. During the last 10 seconds of the ride, passengers are plunged into a tunnel of total darkness before they round the corner and approach the loading station again. Thankfully for the squeamish or nervous, no Yeti lurks within the recesses of the attraction—for now.
The Wild One (1917)
Image: dbking, Wiki Commons (license)
Where to find it: Six Flags America, Upper Marlboro, Maryland
From 1917 to 1984, the Great Coaster dazzled riders at the now-defunct Paragon Park in Massachusetts—holding, albeit for just eight brief years, the title of tallest roller coaster in the world. When the amusement park was shuttered in the mid-1980s to make way for condos (amid a smattering of historical buildings and a mini golf course, too), the massive wooden coaster was transferred to Six Flags America in Maryland, where it has resided ever since.
That doesn’t mean that the roller coaster park guests enjoy today is the exact same one that was constructed in Nantasket Beach a century ago. Two devastating fires in 1932 and 1963 prompted designers to reconstruct and redesign parts of the coaster; only when it was finally acquired by Six Flags America in the 1990s, was part of its original design was restored in a nod to legendary designer John Miller and Herbert Paul Schmeck’s vision for the ride (and its spectacular finale). Although it’s one of the shorter roller coasters on this list—clocking in at just one minute, 52 seconds—its 45-m.p.h. speed makes it one of the fastest, and its 88-foot drop is one of the most exciting elements found in any retro coaster these days.
Jack Rabbit (1920)
Image: Larry Pieniazek, Wiki Commons (license)
Where to find it: Kennywood, West Mifflin, Pennsylvania
Another of John Miller’s creations, the Jack Rabbit premiered in 1920 and has been a staple of Kennywood for almost a full 100 years. Rather than carving out a flat expanse for the roller coaster somewhere in the hills of Pennsylvania, Miller instead designed a coaster that incorporated the park’s natural terrain, resulting in a stomach-churning double-drop that plunges passengers right into a ravine.
In fact, the coaster’s initial drop is so consistently thrilling that Amusement Today ranked the Jack Rabbit within its 30 best wooden roller coasters every year from 2010 to 2017. Pro tip: If you, unlike most, enjoy feeling like you’re going to fall out of your seat while caroming down a track at 45 m.p.h., make sure you get the last seat on the Jack Rabbit’s three-car train. It’s guaranteed to get you the most airtime—provided you can handle it.
These are some of the oldest still-running roller coasters around the world, but there are plenty other retro rides you can experience today: Bay Beach Amusement Park’s Zippin Pippin, Seabreeze Park’s Jack Rabbit (same name, same designer, completely different ride), Dorney Park’s Thunderhawk, and many, many more. How many vintage roller coasters have you dared to try so far?
