HISTORY: First roller coaster in America opened in June

If you like rollercoasters, you may have wondered when the first one appeared and where! Today's blog, courtesy of History.com provides the answers. It appeared a lot earlier than I would have thought, but the place makes sense.  We love the rollercoasters at Dollywood, although we haven't been there in a decade. Now you can learn more about the first appearance! 

(Image: the Thunderhead rollercoaster at Dollywood. It's a wooden coaster manufactured by Great Coasters International.  Credit: Dollywood)

First roller coaster in America opens 

HISTORY.com, : July 16, 2025

On June 16, 1884, the first roller coaster in America opened at Coney Island, in Brooklyn, New York. 

Known as a switchback railway, it was the brainchild of LaMarcus Thompson, traveled approximately six miles per hour and cost a nickel to ride. The new entertainment was an instant success and by the turn of the century there were hundreds of roller coasters around the country.

About Coney Island

Coney Island, a name believed to have come from the Dutch Konijn Eilandt, or Rabbit Island, is a tract of land along the Atlantic Ocean discovered by explorer Henry Hudson in 1609. The first hotel opened at Coney Island in 1829 and by the post-Civil War years, the area was an established resort with theaters, restaurants and a race track. 

Amusement Parks Arrive

Between 1897 and 1904, three amusement parks sprang up at Coney Island–Dreamland, Luna Park and Steeplechase. By the 1920s, Coney Island was reachable by subway and summer crowds of a million people a day flocked there for rides, games, sideshows, the beach and the two-and-a-half-mile boardwalk, completed in 1923.

The First Coney Island Amusement Park 

Paul Boyton founded Sea Lion Park at Coney Island, which created the business model of the first Coney Island Amusement Park.

The hot dog is said to have been invented at Coney Island in 1867 by Charles Feltman. In 1916, a nickel hot dog stand called Nathan’s was opened by a former Feltman employee and went on to become a Coney Island institution and international franchise. Today, Nathan’s is famous not only for its hot dogs but its hot dog-eating contest, held each Fourth of July in Coney Island.

(Photo:  Big Bear Mountain rollercoaster at Dollywood.  The ride is 1.2 kilometres long and the trains reach a top speed of 80 km/h.Credit: Dollywood) 

Roller coasters and amusement parks experienced a decline during the Great Depression and World War II, when Americans had less cash to spend on entertainment. 

Finally, in 1955, the opening of Disneyland in Anaheim, California, signaled the advent of the modern theme park and a rebirth of the roller coaster. Disneyland’s success sparked a wave of new parks and coasters. By the 1970s, parks were competing to create the most thrilling rides.

By the mid-1960s, the major amusement parks at Coney Island had shut down and the area acquired a seedy image. In recent decades it has been revitalized, however, and remains a popular tourist attraction. It's still home to the Cyclone, a wooden coaster that made its debut in 1927. Capable of speeds of 60 mph and with an 85-foot drop, the Cyclone is one of the country’s oldest coasters in operation today.