What was the first roller coaster in Pennsylvania?

But did you know that some of the world's oldest operating coasters also call Pennsylvania home? A small amusement park named Lakemont Park in Altoona is where the world's oldest operating coaster is located. This roller coaster, called Leap the Dips opened in 1902 and is one of the last ?side friction? coasters.



The first "roller coaster" type ride in Pennsylvania, and arguably the first in the United States, was the Mauch Chunk Switchback Railway in what is now Jim Thorpe, PA. Originally built in 1827 to transport coal from mountain mines down to the Lehigh River, it began taking thrill-seeking passengers in 1873 once the coal industry moved to newer methods. This gravity-powered railway was not a modern "circuit" coaster but a nine-mile descent that reached speeds of about 6 miles per hour—fast for the time! If you are looking for the first coaster built specifically for amusement in the state, the title often goes to early "Switchback" designs in the late 1880s. Notably, Pennsylvania is also home to Leap-The-Dips at Lakemont Park, which opened in 1902 and remains the oldest operating roller coaster in the world. These early wooden structures paved the way for the state's legendary coaster culture, leading to the massive steel giants you see at parks like Hersheypark and Kennywood today.

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