Rutschebanen (1914)
Image: Leif Jørgensen, Wiki Commons (license)
Where to find it: Tivoli Gardena, Copenhagen, Denmark
Before there were the Matterhorn Bobsleds, there was… Rutschebanen? The iconic Tivoli Gardens roller coaster (whose name translates to, uh, “roller coaster”) was originally constructed for the 1914 Baltic Exhibition before it found a permanent home within Denmark’s famous gardens. While the Rutschebanen doesn’t feature the tubular tracks of Disneyland’s distinctive coaster, it sticks with the mountain theme as riders dip in and out of tunnels and caves at roughly 31 m.p.h. (For reference, Disneyland’s Bobsleds zip along at approximately 18 m.p.h.)
As with Luna Park’s Scenic Railway, a brake operator is employed to prevent the side friction coaster from upending the train cars on the sharper turns along the track. During the last 10 seconds of the ride, passengers are plunged into a tunnel of total darkness before they round the corner and approach the loading station again. Thankfully for the squeamish or nervous, no Yeti lurks within the recesses of the attraction—for now.
The Wild One (1917)
Image: dbking, Wiki Commons (license)
Where to find it: Six Flags America, Upper Marlboro, Maryland
From 1917 to 1984, the Great Coaster dazzled riders at the now-defunct Paragon Park in Massachusetts—holding, albeit for just eight brief years, the title of tallest roller coaster in the world. When the amusement park was shuttered in the mid-1980s to make way for condos (amid a smattering of historical buildings and a mini golf course, too), the massive wooden coaster was transferred to Six Flags America in Maryland, where it has resided ever since.
That doesn’t mean that the roller coaster park guests enjoy today is the exact same one that was constructed in Nantasket Beach a century ago. Two devastating fires in 1932 and 1963 prompted designers to reconstruct and redesign parts of the coaster; only when it was finally acquired by Six Flags America in the 1990s, was part of its original design was restored in a nod to legendary designer John Miller and Herbert Paul Schmeck’s vision for the ride (and its spectacular finale). Although it’s one of the shorter roller coasters on this list—clocking in at just one minute, 52 seconds—its 45-m.p.h. speed makes it one of the fastest, and its 88-foot drop is one of the most exciting elements found in any retro coaster these days.
Jack Rabbit (1920)
Image: Larry Pieniazek, Wiki Commons (license)
Where to find it: Kennywood, West Mifflin, Pennsylvania
Another of John Miller’s creations, the Jack Rabbit premiered in 1920 and has been a staple of Kennywood for almost a full 100 years. Rather than carving out a flat expanse for the roller coaster somewhere in the hills of Pennsylvania, Miller instead designed a coaster that incorporated the park’s natural terrain, resulting in a stomach-churning double-drop that plunges passengers right into a ravine.
In fact, the coaster’s initial drop is so consistently thrilling that Amusement Today ranked the Jack Rabbit within its 30 best wooden roller coasters every year from 2010 to 2017. Pro tip: If you, unlike most, enjoy feeling like you’re going to fall out of your seat while caroming down a track at 45 m.p.h., make sure you get the last seat on the Jack Rabbit’s three-car train. It’s guaranteed to get you the most airtime—provided you can handle it.
These are some of the oldest still-running roller coasters around the world, but there are plenty other retro rides you can experience today: Bay Beach Amusement Park’s Zippin Pippin, Seabreeze Park’s Jack Rabbit (same name, same designer, completely different ride), Dorney Park’s Thunderhawk, and many, many more. How many vintage roller coasters have you dared to try so far?
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