Where in 1884 in the U.S. was the first roller coaster built?

The first roller coaster in America opened on June 16, 1884 at Coney Island, in Brooklyn, New York. Known as a switchback railway, it was the brainchild of LaMarcus Thompson. It traveled approximately six miles per hour and cost a nickel to ride.

Thompson based his design, at least in part, on the Mauch Chunk Switchback Railway which was a coal-mining train that had started carrying passengers as a thrill ride in 1827.

More Info: en.wikipedia.org

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41 Comments

tdelisi

I see so many people who pick apart these questions and answers with comments of a puffed up authoritative position. How did you guys ever graduate from our school system? It is OK to enter debate on questionable facts - but it appears that every fact and or statement needs to be challenged by some twist of word or phrasing and therefore, conclusions that the answer is wrong. And I might take these arguments a bit more seriously if they didn't always appear to be only Wikipedia based.

james parrillo

Terri Peterson, A roller coaster at the Atlantic City boardwalk would have been in New Jersey. Coney Island is very close to New Jersey but is part of New York. Thank you, Christine, James' wife

james parrillo

Mary Ann Logsdon, Coney Island is very, very close to New Jersey. I was thinking it may have been built in Atlantic City, if it had been in New Jersey. The memory that the first one was in Coney Island had me choose New York. Thank you, Christine, James' wife