Roller Coaster Fun Facts

Neil Sawford • May 30, 2022


One of the fun roller coaster facts that only a few people know is that the first coaster in America carried coal before it carried passengers. The mountain coaster in Branson is powered by gravity, just like the first invented roller coaster. Today's roller coasters are power-driven and are interconnected with multi-cars. Listed below are some of the roller coaster fun facts you might not know.


The American roller coaster was made to save America from Satan

The roller coasters named Dare Devil Dive, Steel Vengeance, and the best are all unbelievable, but these coasters were initially developed to distract the temptation of Satan. LaMarcus Adna Thompson made the Switchback Gravity Railway, a patented coaster that visitors to Brooklyn's Coney Island could ride for just five cents. 

It was invented in 1884 after Thompson was disgusted with the uprise of hedonistic amusements like saloons and brothels. With its location at Coney Island, Thompson became known as the "Father of the American Rollercoaster" for connecting it to amusement parks. That invention, however, is not the same as the thrill-inducers that are enjoyed today in many parks.

Just like the mountain coaster in Branson, that roller coaster was powered by gravity, slow-moving cars that faced outward, rather than forward, so riders could enjoy a constructed scene as the car coasted at just less than six miles per hour.


One of America's earliest coasters carried coal before it carried thrill-seekers.

The Mauch Chuck Switchback Railway was the first gravity railway built-in 1827 to haul coal between coal mines. The cars used gravity to carry one-and-a-half tons of coal downhill, later brought back by mules when emptied. With the heavy load, the coaster could reach 50 miles per hour through the Lehigh Valley. At its peak in 1873, Mauch Chunk carried 30,478 thrill-seeker passengers – each for just 75 cents.

"Russian mountains" foredated roller coasters—and Catherine the Great improved them.

"Russian mountains" had inspired early roller coasters of Europe, like the Promenades Aeriennes that opened in Paris in 1817. Catherine II of Russia had one on her property—and it was not limited only to winter enjoyment. The coaster had wheels that fit into grooved wooden rails, putting the "roller" in the roller coaster, allowing the thrill to continue into the summer months. Some say her influence gave roller coasters the credibility to spread into Europe by the late 18th and early 19th centuries.


Roller coaster loops are never circular

Some roller coasters can loop the loop, but it's not circular. The loop itself is no circle at all. It's approximately the part where two circles hypothetically overlap. In Physics, the centripetal force keeps you from falling out of a roller coaster while it's upside down. This means that when you're traveling on a curved path and velocity is pushing you forward. You'll be pulled toward the curve's central point.

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad ride at Disney World could aid in dislodging kidney stones.


If you have kidney stones, try the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad at Disney World. The ride is prescribed to patients as preventative care, which sounds like a pretty wild-world idea, but it's wild enough that it works.

According to a 2016 study in the Journal of the American Osteopathic Association, this coaster ride can dislodge kidney stones. They had about 20 minutes to study how the stone would move with all those ups and downs. The work won them a beloved Ig Nobel Prize. About two-thirds of the time, the kidney stone passed. It can become possible so long as the rider is seated at the back of the coaster.

Riders used to climb a steep hill


Until the invention of a powered chain lift, roller coaster riders had to climb anymore up a steep hill or stairs to board coasters. Phillip Hinkle invented in 1884 a patented powered chain lift to pull the cars up that first incline before letting gravity do the rest of the work. Because of this, roller coasters could be built on elliptical paths rather than from point A to point B.

The tallest roller coaster in the world is in Jackson, New Jersey


For the first time, riders have reached the summit of the "Kingda Ka" roller coaster on 19 May 2005, at Six Flags amusement park in Jackson, New Jersey. If you find it exciting to ride 465 feet straight toward the sky and then descend fast? Then Kingda Ka Roller Coaster at Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson, New Jersey, is for you.


Like the first roller coaster in the 1800s, the mountain coaster in Branson is powered by gravity. It only ascends with the help of the pulley or utilizing mules, as was done during the first invention of the coaster.

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Lizzie McDaniel bought the Ross Homestead in 1923 and turned it into a museum. McDaniel was also the first to host the Shepherd of the Hills narrative reenactments on the homestead's lawn. The 1910s – Rockaway Beach Becomes a Vacation Hot Spot The Ozark Beach Dam, which supplied water to Lake Taneycomo and supported the construction of the Rockaway Beach vacation community in the region, was built in 1913. Residents in the surrounding area began to develop, followed by an influx of visitors eager to enjoy swimming, fishing, and boating in Lake Taneycomo's waters. Most visitors arrive at Rockaway Beach through the White River Line Railway depot in adjacent Hollister, Missouri, and then take a boat journey down Lake Taneycomo to the beach. Rockaway Beach was popular for many years before Table Rock Lake was formed in 1959 due to the construction of the Table Rock Dam. Rockaway's attractiveness as a vacation resort declined as its lake became unsuitable for swimming. On the other hand, Rockaway Beach has remade itself as a charming lakeside hamlet with the best trout fishing in America. 1959/the 1960s – Live Music Makes Its Mark in Branson The Mabe brothers, known as the Baldknobbers, established Branson's reputation as the first city in Missouri to hold live entertainment events in 1959. The group's blend of country tunes and comedy became an excellent formula for the country music genre in Branson, which is still seen in many popular shows today. The singing comedians relocated from their previous venue near Lake Taneycomo to their new theater on W. Country Rd. 1960 – Silver Dollar City Opens Its Doors Silver Dollar City opened its doors in 1960, featuring a steam train ride from the 1880s, themed stores, live music, and displaying artisans. By 1963, Silver Dollar City had become Missouri's most famous tourist attraction. In 1967, the entire country took notice of the stunning theme park when "Beverly Hillbillies," the popular TV program, filmed several episodes inside the park. In 1960, tourism in Branson began to thrive, prompting the Missouri Pacific to suspend all passenger operations on its White River Line. With so many people arriving by car, traffic on the twisting U.S. 65 from Springfield to Branson frequently delayed passage. To reduce the 75-mile route between Springfield and Branson to 40 miles, dynamite teams and earth-moving equipment helped create a new road through the limestone hills. Branson has long received an influx of visitors from adjacent Missouri communities since the construction of this new route.  1980 – More and More Things to Do in Branson The live music shows in Branson, and numerous other outdoor leisure activities drew visitors to the area. Branson has boosted its entertainment offerings and increased the length of stay for guests for many years. With so many tourist attractions in Branson, many guests who have had a good vacation in this prominent Midwest vacation location want to extend their stay and enjoy extra activities, such as a thrilling trip on the mountain coaster in Branson .