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<!doctype html> <html> <head> <title>Roller Coaster History | Ultimate Rollercoaster</title> <meta name="description" content="Explore the history of the roller coaster. This collection of articles covers the invention, designers and roller coasters built through the years."> <meta name="keywords" content="roller coaster history, history of roller coasters, rollercoasters, roller coasters, history"> <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="/css/style.css"> <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="/css/nav.css"> <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="http://fonts.googleapis.com/css?family=Droid+Sans"> <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="https://use.fontawesome.com/releases/v5.4.1/css/all.css" integrity="sha384-5sAR7xN1Nv6T6+dT2mhtzEpVJvfS3NScPQTrOxhwjIuvcA67KV2R5Jz6kr4abQsz" crossorigin="anonymous"> <link rel="apple-touch-icon" href="/apple-touch-icon.png">  <meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8"> <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1">   <script async src="https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtag/js?id=GT-NB3S8WF"></script> <script> window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; function gtag(){dataLayer.push(arguments);} gtag('js', new Date()); gtag('config', 'GT-NB3S8WF'); </script>  <script async src="//pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js"></script> <script> (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({ google_ad_client: "ca-pub-0624280988623964", enable_page_level_ads: true }); </script> </head> <body> <div id="wrapper"> <div id="headeruser"> <p class="user">Members, <a rel="nofollow" href="/login.php">Log In</a>. Not a member? <a rel="nofollow" href="/register.php">Sign Up</a></p> </div> <div id="headerlogo"> <p><a href="/">Ultimate Rollercoaster</a></p> </div> <div id="leaderboard"> <div class="ad728"> <script async src="//pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js"></script>  <ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:block" data-ad-client="ca-pub-0624280988623964" data-ad-slot="7199721893" data-ad-format="auto"></ins> <script> (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); </script>  </div> </div> <div id="topnav"> <div id="urcnavBack" class="row one"> <nav> <ul id="urcnav"> <li><a class="home" href="/">Ultimate Rollercoaster</a></li> <li><a class="rc-on" href="/coasters/">Rollercoasters</a></li> <li><a class="tp" href="/themeparks/">Theme Parks</a></li> <li><a class="tr" href="/thrillrides/">Thrill Rides</a></li> <li><a class="hot" href="/hotels/">Theme Park Tickets & Hotels</a></li> <li><a class="for" href="/forums/">Discussion Forums</a></li> <li><a class="news" href="/news/">News</a></li> <li><a class="sou" href="/souvenirs/">Souvenirs</a></li> </ul> </nav> </div> </div> <div id="content">  <span class="location"> <a href="/" target="_top">Ultimate Rollercoaster</a> > <a href="/coasters/">Roller Coasters</a> > <u>Roller Coaster History</u> </span> <h1 class="rcHistory">Roller Coaster History</h1> <p class="rcHistory">Discover the history of the world's most popular thrill ride – the Roller Coaster. Explore this series of articles on roller coaster history, to learn about the origin, development, and evolution of this legendary amusement park ride.</p> <div id="LColrchist"> <h2 class="new">Roller Coaster History Series</h2> <div class="hRule"></div> <p><strong><a href="intro/">Author's Introduction</a></strong><br> Begin your ride with a introduction from roller coaster historian Adam Sandy. <h3 class="new">Where the Roller Coaster Began</h3> <div class="hRule"></div> <p><strong><a href="start/">The Beginning</a></strong><br> The origin, it begins with a simple slide. <p><strong><a href="start/america.shtml">Early Years in America</a></strong><br> The first American roller coaster is born. <h3 class="new">Early 1900s Roller Coasters</h3> <div class="hRule"></div> <p><strong><a href="early_1900/">Roaring Twenties</a></strong><br> The popularity boom and the sudden building craze. <p><strong><a href="early_1900/coney_island.shtml">Coney Island History</a></strong><br> Sodom by the sea at America's most famous amusement parks. <p><strong><a href="early_1900/depression.shtml">Depression and World War</a></strong><br> The dark days arrive for the roller coaster. <h3 class="new">60s & 70s Bring Change to Roller Coasters</h3> <div class="hRule"></div> <p><strong><a href="1960_1970/">Sixties Amusement Parks</a></strong><br> The demise of the classic amusement park and the birth of a new breed, the theme park. <p><strong><a href="1960_1970/60s_wood.shtml">Sixties Wooden Coasters</a></strong><br> The calm before the building storm begins again. <p><strong><a href="1960_1970/themepark_boom.shtml">Theme Park Building Boom</a></strong><br> John Allen and Kings Island make for a winning combination. <p><strong><a href="1960_1970/late_70s.shtml">Late Seventies</a></strong><br> The start of the modern looping roller coaster. <h3 class="new">Decade of Roller Coaster Innovation</h3> <div class="hRule"></div> <p><strong><a href="1980_1990/">Enter the Eighties</a></strong><br> Wood was put aside for more variety in steel with the debut of stand up and suspended roller coasters. <p><strong><a href="1980_1990/late_80s.shtml">Late Eighties</a></strong><br> Final years of the decade dominated with rides from Anton Schwarzkopf and Arrow Dynamics. <h3 class="new">90s Modern Day Scream Machines</h3> <div class="hRule"></div> <p><strong><a href="1980_1990/90s_part_one.shtml">Nineties Steel Coasters Part 1</a></strong><br> <strong><a href="1980_1990/90s_part_two.shtml">Nineties Steel Coasters Part 2</a></strong><br> <strong><a href="1980_1990/90s_part_three.shtml">Nineties Steel Coasters Part 3</a></strong><br> Bigger and better roller coasters arrive as designers now attempt to push the limits in size and designs. <p><strong><a href="1980_1990/90s_wood.shtml">Nineties Wooden Coasters</a></strong><br> New wooden legends in the making. <h3 class="new">Credits and Acknowledgements</h3> <div class="hRule"></div> <p><a href="credits/history_credit.shtml">Roller Coaster History Bibliography</a></p> </div> <div id="RColrchist"> <div class="rcHistfacts"> <strong>Designers and Innovators</strong><br> Learn about the people who influenced the design and innovation of the Roller Coaster. <p><strong><a href="designer/traver.shtml">Harry G. Traver</a></strong><br> A Legend... this designer is best known for his triplets of terror.</p> <p><strong><a href="designer/disney.shtml">Walt Disney</a></strong><br> The inventor and innovator of today's modern Theme Park.</p> <p><strong><a href="designer/designer.shtml">Noteworthy Designers</a></strong><br> Philadelpia Toboggan Company<br> National Amusement Devices<br> Prior & Church</p> <p><strong><a href="designer/family_designers.shtml">Family Designers</a></strong><br> Charles Looff<br> Erwin and Edward Vettel<br> John Perce</p> <p><strong><a href="timeline.php">Roller Coaster Timeline</a></strong><br> Through the years an outline of significant milestones in roller coaster history.</p> </div> </div> <p class="copyright">Roller Coaster History series written by Adam Sandy exclusively for Ultimate Rollercoaster®.</p> <div id="footer"> <hr> <ul class="footernav"> <li><a href="/coasters/">Roller Coasters</a></li> <li><a href="/themeparks/">Theme Parks</a></li> <li><a href="/thrillrides/">Thrill Rides</a></li> <li><a href="/hotels/">Tickets & Hotels</a></li> <li><a href="/forums/">Discussion Forums</a></li> <li><a href="/news/">News</a></li> <li><a href="/souvenirs/">Souvenirs</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.ultimatewaterpark.com">Waterparks</a></li> </ul> <div id="facebook"> <a target="_blank" href="https://www.facebook.com/ultimaterollercoaster">Like Ultimate Rollercoaster Facebook</a> </div> <div id="pinterest"> <a target="_blank" href="https://pinterest.com/themeparks">Theme Parks Pinterest</a> </div> <div id="twitter"> <a target="_blank" href="https://www.twitter.com/roller_coaster">Follow Roller Coasters on Twitter</a> </div> <div id="instagram"> <a target="_blank" href="https://www.instagram.com/ultimaterollercoaster">Like Ultimate Rollercoaster Instagram</a> </div> <p class="footlegal"> <a href="/info/">About Us</a> – <a href="/info/sitemap.php">Site Map</a> – <a href="/info/new.php">What's New</a><br> © 1996–2025 Ultimate Rollercoaster®, LLC. 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