Todays Roller Coaster Designs Are Based On The “Verticle Loop Roller Coaster” Patented in 1898.

Each year National Roller Coaster Day on August 16th people flock to amusement parks for a thrill and a few excited screams, too! Take a ride on a roller coaster near you.

• 16th Century – The oldest roller coasters are believed to have originated from the so-called “Russian Mountains.”  Built-in the 17th century, these specially constructed hills of ice located near Saint Petersburg, Russia rose between 70 and 80 feet in height. Passengers faced 50-degree drops. Wooden supports supplied reinforcement.
• 1700s – In Russia, the early roller coasters were such a hit that wheels are added to the carts so people could continue to ride during the summer as well as during the winter.
• 1870 – Opened in Sandusky, Ohio, in 1870, Cedar Point is often called ‘America’s Roller Coast’ for its record-breaking number of roller coasters, offering a mix of classic and innovative thrill rides.
• 1872 – Roller coaster designs have existed since 1872, when J.G. Taylor received one of the earliest patents. He called his creation an inclined railway.
• 1872 – According to the Providence Evening Press dated June 1872, Taylor’s elevated railway at Rocky Point, Rhode Island, extended 400 feet and gave nine passengers a ride. It all started with a shove and allowing gravity to do the rest.
• 1878 – Another patent granted for an inclined-plane railway was granted to Richard Knudsen in 1878.
• 1884 – One of America’s first roller coasters rolled at a snail’s pace. In June 1884, at Coney Island in Brooklyn, thrill-seekers could ride the Switchback Railway roller
• 1898 – The day commemorates the first vertical loop roller coaster, which was patented by Edwin Prescott on this day in 1898.
• 1900s – From the early teens to right before the Great Depression, roller coasters rise in popularity featuring innovations like the world’s first looping coaster
• 1902 – The oldest operating roller coaster is Leap the Dips at Lakemont Park in Pennsylvania. This Roller Coaster closed in 2023
• 1950s – Between the harsh economic realities of the Great Depression and WWII, when metals and land were critical for the war effort, roller coaster popularity waned.
• 1955 – Walt Disney’s visionary Matterhorn roller coaster debuts four years after the Southern California park opens.
• 1959 – the first-ever steel roller coaster was created. The Matterhorn bobsled roller coaster was built for Disneyland in California.
• 1961 – Founded in 1961 in Texas, Six Flags is one of the world’s largest regional theme park companies, known for its extensive collection of thrilling roller coasters and rides across North America.
• 1991 – Taking second place for length is the 7,442-foot Ultimate, which opened in July 1991 at the Lightwater Valley theme park in North Yorkshire, England.
• 1994 – Founded in 1994, Great Coasters International (GCI) is a leading designer and manufacturer of wooden roller coasters, renowned for their smooth, airtime-filled rides and intricate track layouts.
• 2000 – The longest steel coaster prize goes to Steel Dragon 2000 at Nagashima Spaland in Mie, Japan. Steel Dragon, which opened in 2000, totals 8,133 feet of track.
• 2010 – Opened in 2010, the Formula Rossa at Ferrari World in the United Arab Emirates accelerates to a thrilling peak speed of 149.1 miles per hour (240 kilometers per hour) in just five seconds. Riders experience a force of 4.8 Gs, travelling so fast that skydiving goggles must be worn.
• 2016 – Ohio’s Cedar Point theme park unleashed Valravn, which broke numerous world records as the tallest (223 ft), longest (3,415 ft) and fastest (75 mph) dive roller coaster. It also boasts the highest inversion (165 ft) and most numerous inversions (3) of any dive coaster to date.
• While Prescott’s patent detailed ways to improve upon structures such as J.G. Taylor’s and those built at Coney Island, it was Prescott’s designs that led to the roller coasters we know today.
• The fastest roller coaster, Formula Rossa, is located in Abu Dhabi’s Formula One theme park and launches its riders to a top speed of 149 miles per hour.
• Japan’s Nagashima Spa Land is home to the longest rollercoaster in the world. The Steel Dragon 2000 has a track that covers 8133 feet.
• Six Flags Magic Mountain in California currently has the most roller coasters in its park, with 19.
• A roller coaster consists of one or multiple cars on a track. While they are similar to railroad systems in design, the inclines and vertical loops incorporated in the structures aren’t for transportation.
• Roller coaster loops are never circular, but instead, are designed with an upside down “teardrop” shape. This is because perfectly circular loops will subject riders to up to 6Gs of g-force, causing them to get injured. – Source
• Your organs are floating when you get that “stomach in your chest” feeling on a roller coaster. – Source
• The Beast at Kings Island in Ohio is the longest wooden roller coaster. It has 7,359 feet of track, making it the 3rd longest coaster overall in the world.
• Takabisha at Fuji-Q Highland in Japan has a 121 degree tilt drop free fall, making it the steepest roller coaster in the world.
• The Green Lantern coaster at Movie World in Australia has a 120.5 degree vertical angle.
• The Timber Drop at Fraispertuis City in France has a 113 degree maximum vertical angle.
• The roller coaster with the steepest angle of descent in the United States is the Fahrenheit at Hersheypark in Pennsylvania. It has a 97 degree angle of descent.
• Kingda Ka at Six Flags Great Adventure & Safari in Jackson, New Jersey currently holds the record for the second fastest roller coaster (it was fastest until Formula Rossa came along and it is still the fastest in North America), reaching 128 miles per hour. The coaster opened in May 2005 in the park’s jungle-themed area.
• Kingda Ka takes the top spot for the largest drop of any roller coaster; it’s 418 feet from the top of the largest drop to the bottom.
• The fastest roller coaster in the world is Abu Dhabi’s ‘Formula Rossa’ ride with a top speed of 240km/h (149 MPPH).
• The United States boasts over 600 operating roller coasters, making it home to one of the largest collections in the world. This impressive number reflects the enduring popularity and innovation within the industry.
• Riders experience a force of 4.8 Gs, traveling so fast that skydiving goggles must be worn.
• In the United States, approximately three hundred million people ride roller coasters every year.

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