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ACE Roller Coaster Landmark, Dallas, TX (2026)

08/04/2023

Rutschebanen
Tivoli Gardens
Copenhagen, Denmark
Ceremonially dedicated June 30, 2023
Opening at Tivoli Gardens on June 12, 1914, Rutschebanen is the oldest operating roller coaster in Europe and the third oldest in the world. Construction was supervised by Valdemar Lebech (1884-1975). Rutschebanen is one of the very few remaining scenic railway coasters to be built by the L.A. Thompson Scenic Railway Company, led by founder LaMarcus Adna Thompson (1848-1919). As was common among side-friction scenic railways of the era, Rutschebanen features an onboard brake operator who controls the speed of the train as it traverses the any dips and turns that were built around and through the handcrafted mountain scenery. In 1924, Copenhagen government officials felt that the mountains looked too frivolous for those arriving at the nearby railroad station, so the peaks of the artificial mountains were removed.

To help break morale for the Danish citizens during the occupation of World War II, several landmarks within Tivoli Gardens were bombed by saboteurs in June 1944, including sections of Rutschebanen. Government officials believed it was essential to restore the park back to operating order as soon as possible, so Rutschebanen was renovated and reopened just 25 days later.

Today, guests can ride Rutschebanen as their ancestors did while traversing the 41-foot high, 2.362-foot-long course, reaching a top speed of 37 mph. For the rides 100th anniversary, the mountain tops were added back in 2014, restoring the original vision and theming for the remarkable attraction.

ACE applauds Tivoli Gardens for continuing to meticulously maintain and operate Rutschebanen as a timeless treasure for Denmark and the world.

07/16/2022

Sea Dragon
Columbus Zoo and Aquarium
Powell, Ohio
Ceremonially dedicated July 16, 2022

During the height of the postwar baby boom of the 1950s, amusement parks began adding junior-sized roller coasters designed for younger riders. John Allen (1907-1979), president of the Philadelphia Toboggan Company (PTC), began designing his own coaster creations after taking control of PTC in 1954. Among Allen’s first designs were three nearly identical junior wood coasters that opened in 1956-1957 at three different parks. The first of this trio was at Zoo Amusement Park located adjacent to the Columbus Zoo in Powell, Ohio, with construction supervised by PTC’s Frank Hoover (1903-1987). The park, dating back to 1896 as a picnic grove, was made into a small traditional amusement park in 1946 by carnival operator Floyd Gooding (1895-1972).

Originally called Jet Flyer, the coaster was built at a height of 37 feet, reaching a top speed of 25 mph along 1,320 feet of track. After Gooding’s death, the park was sold to the city of Columbus and the zoo in 1981. The park was leased to Funtime, Inc. in 1984 and rebranded to Wyandot Lake with the coaster renamed Sea Dragon. Control of Wyandot Lake was taken over by Six Flags from 1996 until 2006. A year later, management returned to the Columbus Zoo, which annexed the park and included a complete refurbishment for the coaster. Sea Dragon is also considered an ACE Coaster Classic because of its traditional operating methods, including hand-pulled manual brakes and no seat dividers.

06/20/2022

Blue Streak
Cedar Point
Sandusky, Ohio
Ceremonially dedicated June 20, 2022

Beginning in 1959, Cedar Point was in the midst of a significant renaissance. Almost redeveloped for a housing plan, Cedar Point began transforming into a major regional amusement resort destination, adding an impressive new midway featuring many rides and attractions. For the 1964 season, the world-renowned Philadelphia Toboggan Company (PTC) was asked to design and build a new wood coaster. Frank Hoover (1903-1987), better known up until that time for being in charge of construction for PTC, was suggested by the company’s president and veteran coaster designer, John Allen (1907-1979), to create the ride with minimal input from Allen. Hoover created a snappy, airtime-filled out-and-back coaster called Blue Streak, which was named after the Sandusky High School athletic team.

Located near the park’s main entrance and marina, along Sandusky Bay, Blue Streak opened on May 23, 1964. The coaster attains a maximum height of 78 feet and is capped off by a distinctively decorative cupula over the apex of the lift hill. Reaching a maximum speed of 40 mph after descending its 72-foot first drop, the coaster includes several smaller bunny hop hills along its 2,558 feet of track. The iconic structure was originally natural wood in color but received its signature blue paint scheme in 1968.

ACE celebrates Cedar Point for its continued preservation and care for Blue Streak, the park’s oldest roller coaster as well as Frank Hoover’s only credited coaster design.

06/23/2021

Thunderhawk (previously known as Coaster)
Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom
Allentown, Pennsylvania
Ceremonially dedicated June 23, 2021

In 1923, Robert Plarr (1895-1966) purchased Dorney Park from the Allentown-Kutztown Traction Company, which had been managed by his father, Jacob, since 1901. As one of his first additions, Plarr replaced the park’s gentler Scenic Railway coaster with a newer, more thrilling underfriction roller coaster from the Philadelphia Toboggan Company (PTC). Designed by Herbert P. Schmeck (1890-1956), the out-and-back coaster was built along an existing trolley line and opened on March 30, 1924. It was named simply Coaster.

In 1930, Plarr rehired PTC and Schmeck to redesign and reroute the original layout of Coaster into an even more spectacular design. It featured diving drops and twists that redirected the course over the neighboring trolley tracks and into the nearby picnic groves before heading back to the station. The structure was painted yellow in 1954, with locals affectionately calling the ride “yellow coaster” for many years. During this era, the park’s Skooter bumper cars shared the same building as the loading station. The building’s façade was also adorned with the whimsical clown mascot Alfundo, which stood for “Allentown has fun at Dorney.”

In 1989, Coaster was renamed Thunderhawk. Dorney Park was sold to Cedar Fair, L.P. of Sandusky, Ohio, in 1992 with the coaster receiving a more modern loading platform in 1995. Today, the 80-foot-high Thunderhawk still thrills riders along its 2,767 twisting feet of wooden track, making it the world’s oldest PTC roller coaster as well as the oldest designed by Schmeck.

06/22/2021

Comet
Hersheypark
Hershey, Pennsylvania
Ceremonially dedicated June 22, 2021

Comet was built by the Philadelphia Toboggan Company (PTC) and designed by PTC president Herbert P. Schmeck (1890-1956). Using local carpenters, construction was supervised by PTC foreman Frank Hoover (1903-1987). The classic wooden roller coaster opened to the public in May 1946 and was the last coaster added to the park by founder Milton S. Hershey.

Initially, the “T”-shaped out-and-back coaster that crosses over Spring Creek twice was painted green. Mr. Hershey preferred his rides to blend into the natural scenery and atmosphere of the park. It was eventually painted white and remains so today. Schmeck stepped down as president of PTC in 1954 and became president of the Associated Amusement Company division of PTC, personally overseeing maintenance and operations of Comet until his death in 1956.

Comet is best known for delighting generations of riders with several airtime-producing hills, reaching a top speed of 50 mph during its 3,360-foot-long ride. ACE commends Hersheypark for its continued excellence in the ongoing preservation and treasuring of the truly classic Comet, the park’s enduring and oldest roller coaster.

06/20/2019

Montezooma's Revenge
Knott's Berry Farm
Buena Park, California
Ceremonially dedicated June 20, 2019

Built by German roller coaster manufacturer Anton Schwarzkopf (1926-2001) and designed by German engineer Werner Stengel (1936- ), this launched, looping shuttle coaster opened to the public on May 25, 1978.

Taking their original looping steel roller coaster design, Schwarzkopf and Stengel created a simple, linear layout in which one vehicle travels in both directions through a loop and two near-vertical spikes along a mere 800 feet of track.

The first Schwarzkopf shuttle loop coaster opened in 1977 and utilized a weight-drop launching system to traverse the course. In a further development, Montezooma’s Revenge uses a spinning flywheel launch instead of the weight-drop launch. This newer system enabled a faster 0 to 55 mph launch in less than five seconds, taking riders immediately into a 76-foot-tall vertical loop before climbing a 148-foot-tall dead-end tower. When forward momentum stops, riders then traverse the course backward through the loop, fly through the station, then ascend another 112-foot-tall reverse-point rear tower before rolling again forward into the loading area, ending their thrilling journey.

ACE recognizes Montezooma’s Revenge as the last operating Schwarzkopf shuttle loop in the United States and the longest standing in its original location. The ride continues to offer timeless thrills and remains an integral part of Knott’s Berry Farm’s collection of roller coasters.

06/11/2019

Big Dipper
Camden Park
Huntington, West Virginia
Ceremonially dedicated May 12, 2019

In 1957, Camden Park owner John P. Boylin (1898-1986) decided that the park's aging side friction coaster, The New Sensation, later called Roller Coaster, needed to be replaced. Boylin subsequently, hired Aurel Vaszin (1885-1979) with the National Amusement Device Company (NAD) of Dayton, Ohio, to build a new wood coaster for his park.

Vaszin, alonwtih NAD construction supervisor Jerome A. "Eddie" Leis (1898-1973), created a modest-sized wooden roller coater that would be a perfect fit for the park. Standing at 50 feet tall, Big Dipper features a 35-foot second drop as its largest, a midcourse elevated tunnel and several smaller airtime-producing hills long its 1,800 feet of track. The ride still operates one of two NAD Century Flyer trains that debuted with the coaster in May 1958.

ACE commends Camden Park and the Boylin family for their continued operation of Big Dipper, West Virginia's oldest roller coaster as well as one of the few remaining that was built by the NAD.

06/11/2019

Kiddy Coaster
Playland Park
Rye, New York
Ceremonially dedicated July 28, 2018

In 1925, Westchester County began to acquire land including two former amusement parks, Rye Beach Pleasure Park and Paradise Park, along the shores of Long Island Sound in Rye, New York. Respected amusement park planner and manager Frank W. Darling (1872-1952) was commissioned to create and develop an entirely new park named Playland. Built within the shadows of the new park's wilder and larger Frederick Church (1878-1936)-designed Airplane Coaster, a much smaller children's coaster was created. Noted amusement park developer and ride manufacturer Rudyard S. Uzzell (1874-1962) was brought in to erect the Darling-designed Kiddy Coaster for Playland.

Construction of Kiddy Coaster was completed in December 1927 and the ride opened with the park on May 26, 1928. Situated with other children's rides in Playland's Kiddyland area, Kiddy Coaster was built to encircle a new children's playground. Reaching a maximum height of 16 feet, the 485-foot long oval-shaped ride features four gentle dips, including a swooping turnaround drop. In 1953, the ride's original classic trains were replaced with two Comet Jr. coaster trains from the National Amusement Device Company of Dayton, Ohio, that continue to thrill riders today.

ACE applauds Playland for maintaining, operating and preserving Kiddy Coaster, the world's oldest wooden coaster built specifically for younger thrill seekers.

06/11/2019

Wild One
Six Flags America
Largo, Maryland
Ceremonially dedicated June 18, 2018

Wild One's long history began at Paragon Park in Hull, Massachusetts. In 1916, park owner George A. Dodge commissioned the Philadelphia Toboggan Company (PTC) to create a new coaster. Designed by John A. Miller, with Herbert P. Schmeck as construction foreman, Giant Coaster opened on May 26, 1917.

In 1932, Schmeck and PTC returned to remodel the side-friction coaster with more modern underfriction track construction using the coaster's original station and much of its structure.

When Paragon Park permanently closed in September 1984, Wild World in Bowie, Maryland, purchased the coaster. Charles J. Dinn of the Dinn Corporation was instrumental in moving portions of the ride and supervised the reconstruction. Engineer Curtis D. Summers reworked sections of the layout, including a new helix finale replacing one that was lost in a fire at Paragon Park in 1963. The newly named Wild One opened on May 3, 1986, as part of a $3.5 million expansion of the park.

Now known as Six Flags America, the park still features Wild One, which boasts a 98-foot height with an 88-foot first drop. Though modified over its long history, the classic wooden coaster has stood the test of time and continues to bring enjoyment and thrills to riders. ACE commends Six Flags America for continued operation of Wild One with a rich history that spans over a century.

06/11/2019

Great American Scream Machine
Six Flags Over Georgia
Austell, Georgia
Ceremonially dedicated May 21, 2017

Two years after Six Flags Over Georgia opened to the public on June 16, 1967, new park manager Errol McKoy envisioned a Coney Island-style addition to the park, including a large wooden coaster and a parachute drop ride. However, his concepts did not come to fruition immediately owing to other corporate ideas for the park at the time. Following a change of Six Flags ownership in the early 1970s, McKoy resurrected his dream and proceeded with building a large wooden coaster to anchor the newest expansion section of the park, Cotton States Exposition. The new area, featuring a turn-of-the-century Georgia fairgrounds theme, opened March 31, 1973.

Noted coaster designer John C. Allen (1907-1979) of the Philadelphia Toboggan Company (PTC) drafted a beautiful 105-foot-tall, 3,800-foot-long L-shaped out-and-back creation along and over a picturesque lakefront setting. Allen was assisted by structural engineer William L. Cobb (1917-1990) and consultant Don Rosser in the design. Construction was headed by Robert Cowen and PTC's James L. Martz. Featuring a top speed of 57 mph, Great American Scream Machine provides a beautiful patriotic backdrop to the area with its extensive white structure, blue handrails and red track bed. Two PTC-built trains, painted to resemble an American flag, carry out the theme.

ACE applauds Six Flags Over Georgia for its continued preservation of Great American Scream Machine, the first wooden coaster to be built in a Six Flags theme park.

ACE Roller Coaster Landmark

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