Roller Coaster Trivia Questions
What is a roller coaster?
A: A roller coaster is an amusement ride
developed for amusement parks and modern theme
parks.
What did LaMarcus Adna Thompson obtain for
roller coasters on January 20, 1885?
A: A patent.
The oldest roller coasters are believed to have
originated from what?
A: The Russian Mountains, which were
specially-constructed hills of ice.
Some historians say the first roller coaster was
built under the orders of whom, in the year
1784?
A: Russia's Catherine the Great.
LaMarcus Adna Thompson began work on a gravity
Switchback Railway that opened where in 1884?
A: At Coney Island in Brooklyn, New York.
In 1885, Phillip Hinkle introduced the first
full-circuit coaster with a lift hill, the
Gravity Pleasure Road, which was soon what?
A: The most popular attraction at Coney Island.
In 1886 Thompson patented his design of roller
coaster that included what?
A: Dark tunnels with painted scenery.
By 1919, the first under friction roller coaster
had been developed by whom?
A: John Miller.
Soon, roller coasters spread to where?
A: Amusement parks all around the world.
Where was the best known historical roller
coaster, Cyclone, opened in 1927?
A: At Coney Island.
The Great Depression marked the end of the what?
A: The first golden age of roller coasters.
What happened to amusement parks in general?
A: They went into decline.
How long did this last?
A: It lasted until 1972.
What was built at Kings Island in Mason, Ohio
(near Cincinnati) to change things?
A: The Racer.
Designed by John Allen, the instant success of
the Racer began a what?
A: A second golden age, which has continued to
this day.
In 1959, Disneyland introduced a design
breakthrough with Matterhorn Bobsleds, the first
roller coaster to use what?
A: A tubular steel track.
Tubular steel can be bent in any direction,
allowing designers to do what?
A: Incorporate loops, corkscrews, and many other
maneuvers into their designs.
Most modern roller coasters are made of steel,
although wooden coasters are still being built
along with what?
A: Hybrids of steel and wood.
What is the longest steel roller coaster in the
world since its opening in 2000?
A: Steel Dragon 2000 at Nagashima Spaland in
Mie, Japan,
How long is it?
A: It is 8,133 ft. long and has a maximum height
of 311 ft 8 in.
