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Roller Coaster Trivia


It’s an uphill, downhill adventure

By Paula Green

 


Are you ready to embark on a thrilling coaster adventure? Brace yourself because, according to tripsavvy.com, there are a staggering 760 roller coasters in the U.S. Let's dive into the heart-pounding world of roller coasters and explore some exciting ones.


Leap the Dips in Lakemont Park in Altoona is the oldest operating roller coaster in the country. It was built in 1902. There’s a tie for the third oldest coaster. The Jack Rabbit at Seabreeze Park in Rochester, New York, and the Jack Rabbit at Kennywood Park were built in 1920. It's a strange coincidence—same name and the same year.


Another famous coaster at Kennywood is the Thunderbolt. Constructed in 1924, its original name was the Pippin. The ride was revamped, and in 1968, this twister-style wooden terror was renamed the Thunderbolt. Another oldie but goodie is The Racer. Built in 1927, this thriller features an ingeniously crafted continuous-track layout that departs on one side of the station and returns on the other.


Plunging along to other amusement parks, the roller coaster with the steepest angle of descent in the U.S. is Fahrenheit at Hershey Park, with 97-degrees. Kingda Ka at Six Flags Great Adventure Park in New Jersey is the tallest coaster in the world, at 456 feet. It’s taller than the Statute of Liberty and is the fastest coaster in North America.


You can't discuss roller coasters without mentioning Cedar Point Amusement in Sandusky, Ohio. This is the place to go if you're a coaster enthusiast. It houses 18 fabulous coasters, which is why it is called “The Amazement Park™.” If you venture out west, then visit Great Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, California, which has 20 coasters, the most in the country. Mark your calendars because August 16 is National Roller Coaster Day.


Since we’ve explored the ups and downs of these thrill rides, we must now plunge into this coaster query. Get set to buckle up your thoughts because it's time to get a little trivial.

 


1.  Built-in 1938, what’s the name of the junior out-and-back wooden coaster at Idlewild Park?

2.  The Thunderhawk is a wooden coaster built in 1923. It can be found at this theme park in

          Allentown, Pennsylvania.

3.  Name the classic coaster that was constructed in 1927 at Coney Island’s Luna Park in New York.

4.  You can blast off on this rocket-style roller-coaster in the dark. This electrifying ride is situated in Disney World in Orlando, Florida.

6.  The Beast is the longest wooden roller coaster, and The Son of Beast is the first wooden coaster with a loop. Where can you find these two rides in Ohio?

7.  Celebrating sixty years this summer, what’s the name of the oldest coaster at Cedar Point that is packed with hills, thrills and history?

8.  Where on the East Coast can you find the coasters Apollo’s Chariot and the Loch Ness Monster?

9.  At Kennywood, 3,365 feet of this coaster track passes through the structure of the neighboring Thunderbolt, not once but twice.

10.  This amusement park is named for a country music star. Some of the park’s coasters are Tennessee Tornado, Lightning Rod, Big Bear, and Wild Eagle.

 11.  West View Park closed in September 1977. One of its coasters was the Dips. What was the name of its other iconic roller coaster?

12.  This “Chocolate Town” boasts of having these cool coasters – the Jolly Rancher Remix, Storm Run, Skyrush, and the SooperDuperLooper.

13. The Blue Streak operated at Conneaut Lake from 1938-2019. It was torn down on January 4, 2022. What happened to the ride during the demolition?

14. Star Jet was a steel roller coaster that operated at Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey from 2002 until it was swept into the Atlantic Ocean in 2012 by which Hurricane?

15. Founded in 1978, this organization is for roller coaster buffs, and it has 7,000 members worldwide.

 

Answers: 1. Rollo Coaster 2. Dorney Park 3. Cyclone 4. Space Mountain 6. King’s Island 7. The Blue Streak 8. Busch Garden’s, Williamsburg, Virginia 9. Phantom’s Revenge 10. Dollywood 11. Racing Whippet 12. Hersheypark 13. it caught fire 14. Sandy 15. ACE (American Coaster Enthusiasts)

 

 

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