However, documents show the two filed separate patents six years apart. J.G Taylor filed his patent for “Improvement in Inclined Railways” on July 2, 1872. Richard Knudsen’s patent for an “Inclined-Plane Railway” was approved in 1878 — in January.
Credit: Contributed
Credit: Contributed
Regardless, nationaldaycalendar.com commemorates Aug. 16 as the approval date of Edwin Prescott’s patent for the first vertical-looping rollercoaster. This is seemingly confirmed by the official patent for Prescott’s roller coaster, which was approved on Aug. 16, 1898.
Ohio is home to many ground-breaking coasters important to the history of theme parks, and here is a guide to a few favorites:
Sea Dragon
Location: Columbus Zoo: 4850 W. Powell Road, Powell
Opened: 1956
Description: The oldest operating coaster in Ohio, Sea Dragon opened in 1956 as the Jet Flyer. This ride was created by famed wooden coaster manufacturer Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters, and designed by John C. Allen. This coaster is 1,320 feet long and reaches speeds of 25 mph. Sea Dragon costs $3 per ride and is only open on weekends.
The Racer
Credit: Nick Graham
Credit: Nick Graham
Location: Kings Island: 6300 Kings Island Drive, Mason
Opened: 1972
Description: Another John C. Allen creation, guests have been racing on this coaster’s dual tracks since Kings Island opened in 1972. Giving 104 million rides over the decades, Kings Island’s website states “The Racer is credited with re-igniting the wooden roller coaster building boom in the 1970s, thus beginning the second golden age of the roller coaster.” The Racer inspired a similar coaster at sister park Kings Dominion in Virginia called Racer 75.
Corkscrew
Location: Cedar Point: 1 Cedar Point Drive, Sandusky
Opened: 1976
Description: The first coaster to go upside down three times, Corkscrew opened in 1976 at Cedar Point in Sandusky. Its simple layout and short length may seem outdated, but the Arrow Dynamics-built ride was cutting-edge for the time. The ride opened just one year after the first modern day looping coaster, Corkscrew at Knott’s Berry Farm. Guests can also walk under the coaster’s signature corkscrews, making for a unique photo opportunity.
The Beast
Location: Kings Island: 6300 Kings Island Drive, Mason
Opened: 1979
Description: At a then-unheard of 7,361 feet, The Beast at Kings Island opened as the longest roller coaster in the world in 1979. While the title has since been claimed by metal giants like Steel Dragon 2000 in Japan, it remains the longest wooden coaster in the world. The Beast takes guests through Ohio’s wilderness, with twists, turns and tunnels throughout. The ride ends with a gigantic double helix, before returning riders to the station.
Magnum XL-200
Location: Cedar Point: 1 Cedar Point Drive, Sandusky
Opened: 1989
Description: In 1989, Arrow Dynamics and Cedar Point teamed up to create the then-tallest roller coaster in the world. Taking guests up 200 feet, the coaster throws riders through a series of airtime hills and banked turns. This ride single-handedly created the “hyper coaster,” a coaster that stands between 200 and 300 feet tall. In the time since, dozens of hyper coasters have been built in theme parks everywhere.
Millennium Force
Credit: Lexington Herald-Leader
Credit: Lexington Herald-Leader
Location: Cedar Point: 1 Cedar Point Drive, Sandusky
Opened: 2000
Description: “The Future is Riding on it.” With that tagline, Cedar Point sent shockwaves through the theme park industry. Intamin, known for building a wide range of theme park rides, built the park a new type of coaster, the “giga coaster.” Standing at 310 feet, Millennium Force sends guests flying throughout the park in its signature overbanked turns. With a top speed of 93 mph, “Millie” remains one of the fastest coaster in the world without a launch.
Diamondback
Credit: Nick Graham
Credit: Nick Graham
Location: Kings Island
Opened: 2009
Description: After decades of changing ownership, Kings Island and other Paramount parks were purchased by Cedar Fair in 2006. It didn’t take long for Kings Island to benefit from the merger, as it received the 230-foot-tall hyper coaster Diamondback in 2009. Created by Swiss manufacturer Bolliger and Mabillard, Diamondback is the first of three coasters in the park created by the company. Housed in the Rivertown section, the ride features an airtime-filled layout ending with a splashdown, where water shoots out behind riders.
Orion
Location: Kings Island
Opened: 2020
Description: Another coaster built by Bolliger and Mabillard, Orion opened in 2020 as the second giga coaster in Ohio and seventh in the world. The ride took a different approach to its layout than Millennium Force, with Orion focusing on large airtime hills instead of banked turns. Orion also has a tight helix towards the end of its layout, giving riders that intense “sinking in your seat” feeling for which positive G-forces are known.
Closed coaster
Did you know? Top Thrill 2 has rocky history
Location: Cedar Point
Opened: 2024
Description: Top Thrill 2, formally Top Thrill Dragster, has a history of complications almost as famous as the coaster itself. Originally opening in 2003, the ride broke records for being the fastest and tallest coaster in the world and creating the 400 foot and taller “strata coaster” class. However, the Intamin-built coaster was fraught with issues that made it unreliable.
After an unfortunate accident in 2021, Top Thrill Dragster officially closed to undergo a major refurbishment. Cedar Point brought in Zamperlia to add two more launches to the ride, as well as a large vertical spike. The new ride opened as Top Thrill 2 this year. However, a few short weeks after opening it was closed indefinitely. There is still no word on when this famous attraction will reopen.
Alex Cutler is an arts and entertainment writer for the Dayton Daily News, Journal-News and Springfield News-Sun. Email him your thoughts on great ohio roller coasters at alex.cutler@coxinc.com.
About the Author