ACE Roller Coaster Landmark

Sea Dragon
Columbus Zoo and Aquarium
Powell, Ohio
Ceremonially dedicated July 16, 2022

During the height of the postwar baby boom of the 1950s, amusement parks began adding junior-sized roller coasters designed for younger riders. John Allen (1907-1979), president of the Philadelphia Toboggan Company (PTC), began designing his own coaster creations after taking control of PTC in 1954. Among Allen’s first designs were three nearly identical junior wood coasters that opened in 1956-1957 at three different parks. The first of this trio was at Zoo Amusement Park located adjacent to the Columbus Zoo in Powell, Ohio, with construction supervised by PTC’s Frank Hoover (1903-1987). The park, dating back to 1896 as a picnic grove, was made into a small traditional amusement park in 1946 by carnival operator Floyd Gooding (1895-1972).

Originally called Jet Flyer, the coaster was built at a height of 37 feet, reaching a top speed of 25 mph along 1,320 feet of track. After Gooding’s death, the park was sold to the city of Columbus and the zoo in 1981. The park was leased to Funtime, Inc. in 1984 and rebranded to Wyandot Lake with the coaster renamed Sea Dragon. Control of Wyandot Lake was taken over by Six Flags from 1996 until 2006. A year later, management returned to the Columbus Zoo, which annexed the park and included a complete refurbishment for the coaster. Sea Dragon is also considered an ACE Coaster Classic because of its traditional operating methods, including hand-pulled manual brakes and no seat dividers.

Blue Streak
Cedar Point
Sandusky, Ohio
Ceremonially dedicated June 20, 2022

Beginning in 1959, Cedar Point was in the midst of a significant renaissance. Almost redeveloped for a housing plan, Cedar Point began transforming into a major regional amusement resort destination, adding an impressive new midway featuring many rides and attractions. For the 1964 season, the world-renowned Philadelphia Toboggan Company (PTC) was asked to design and build a new wood coaster. Frank Hoover (1903-1987), better known up until that time for being in charge of construction for PTC, was suggested by the company’s president and veteran coaster designer, John Allen (1907-1979), to create the ride with minimal input from Allen. Hoover created a snappy, airtime-filled out-and-back coaster called Blue Streak, which was named after the Sandusky High School athletic team.

Located near the park’s main entrance and marina, along Sandusky Bay, Blue Streak opened on May 23, 1964. The coaster attains a maximum height of 78 feet and is capped off by a distinctively decorative cupula over the apex of the lift hill. Reaching a maximum speed of 40 mph after descending its 72-foot first drop, the coaster includes several smaller bunny hop hills along its 2,558 feet of track. The iconic structure was originally natural wood in color but received its signature blue paint scheme in 1968.

ACE celebrates Cedar Point for its continued preservation and care for Blue Streak, the park’s oldest roller coaster as well as Frank Hoover’s only credited coaster design.

Montezooma's Revenge
Knott's Berry Farm
Buena Park, California
Ceremonially dedicated June 20, 2019

Built by German roller coaster manufacturer Anton Schwarzkopf (1926-2001) and designed by German engineer Werner Stengel (1936- ), this launched, looping shuttle coaster opened to the public on May 25, 1978.

Taking their original looping steel roller coaster design, Schwarzkopf and Stengel created a simple, linear layout in which one vehicle travels in both directions through a loop and two near-vertical spikes along a mere 800 feet of track.

The first Schwarzkopf shuttle loop coaster opened in 1977 and utilized a weight-drop launching system to traverse the course. In a further development, Montezooma’s Revenge uses a spinning flywheel launch instead of the weight-drop launch. This newer system enabled a faster 0 to 55 mph launch in less than five seconds, taking riders immediately into a 76-foot-tall vertical loop before climbing a 148-foot-tall dead-end tower. When forward momentum stops, riders then traverse the course backward through the loop, fly through the station, then ascend another 112-foot-tall reverse-point rear tower before rolling again forward into the loading area, ending their thrilling journey.

ACE recognizes Montezooma’s Revenge as the last operating Schwarzkopf shuttle loop in the United States and the longest standing in its original location. The ride continues to offer timeless thrills and remains an integral part of Knott’s Berry Farm’s collection of roller coasters.

Wild One
Six Flags America
Largo, Maryland
Ceremonially dedicated June 18, 2018

Wild One's long history began at Paragon Park in Hull, Massachusetts. In 1916, park owner George A. Dodge commissioned the Philadelphia Toboggan Company (PTC) to create a new coaster. Designed by John A. Miller, with Herbert P. Schmeck as construction foreman, Giant Coaster opened on May 26, 1917.

In 1932, Schmeck and PTC returned to remodel the side-friction coaster with more modern underfriction track construction using the coaster's original station and much of its structure.

When Paragon Park permanently closed in September 1984, Wild World in Bowie, Maryland, purchased the coaster. Charles J. Dinn of the Dinn Corporation was instrumental in moving portions of the ride and supervised the reconstruction. Engineer Curtis D. Summers reworked sections of the layout, including a new helix finale replacing one that was lost in a fire at Paragon Park in 1963. The newly named Wild One opened on May 3, 1986, as part of a $3.5 million expansion of the park.

Now known as Six Flags America, the park still features Wild One, which boasts a 98-foot height with an 88-foot first drop. Though modified over its long history, the classic wooden coaster has stood the test of time and continues to bring enjoyment and thrills to riders. ACE commends Six Flags America for continued operation of Wild One with a rich history that spans over a century.