On June 16, 1884, the first roller coaster in America opens at Coney Island, in Brooklyn, New York. Known as a switchback railway, it was the invention of LaMarcus Thompson. For five cents, riders would climb a tower to board the large bench-like car and were pushed off to coast 600 ft down the track to another tower. The car went just over 6 mph. At the top of the other tower the vehicle was switched to a return track or “switched back” (hence the name). The new entertainment was a great success and by the turn of the century there were hundreds of roller coasters around the country. Thompson went on to build many more roller coasters across the country which were called “The L.A. Thompson Scenic Railway”. Some of these operated until 1954.
The original Switchback Railway at Coney Island
The Original Switchback Roller Coaster Fun Facts
Location Coney Island
Park section Coney Island Cyclone Site
Opened June 16, 1884
Type Wood
Manufacturer LaMarcus Adna Thompson
Designer LaMarcus Adna Thompson
Track layout Gravity pulled coaster
Lift/launch system Gravity
Height 50 ft
Drop 43 ft
Length 600 ft
Max speed 6 mph
Duration One Minute
Max vertical angle 30°
Capacity 1600 riders per hour
