953 nut 66,661 #1 Posted yesterday at 11:33 AM June 16, 1884, the first roller coaster in America opens 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. 2 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ri702bill 12,248 #2 Posted yesterday at 04:47 PM A lot of the old wooden structures are now long gone... Amusement Parks were for the most part built on prime commercial real estate. The same fate was had by local Drive In Theaters & short track Speedways... 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
953 nut 66,661 #3 Posted 19 hours ago I grew up near Syracuse, NY and have fond memories of the "Suburban Park" amusement park and its amazing wooden roller coaster. It opened in 1898 and was so popular that Syracuse extended its newly formed Trolley Car System to the park's entrance. The amusement park closed in 1973 and now Suburban Park is a 128 unit apartment complex. 1 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
