June 16: LaMarcus Thompson and America’s First Roller Coaster

On June 16, 1884, inventor and businessman LaMarcus Adna Thompson opened the Gravity Pleasure Switchback Railway at Coney Island in Brooklyn, New York. Often described as America’s first amusement roller coaster, the ride was far slower and simpler than modern coasters. Passengers rode along a gravity-powered track at about six miles per hour and paid a nickel for the experience. The American Society of Civil Engineers describes the ride as an immediate success. Later roller coaster designs were built on Thompson’s early work.