No Leap this leap year
World’s oldest existing roller coaster on pause
Opened in 1902, Leap the Dips at Lakemont Park in Altoona, Pennsylvania holds the distinction of being the world’s oldest remaining roller coaster. Unfortunately, folks will not be able to experience the historic ride this season. According to the park, it is facing financial headwinds and will not be operating Leap the Dips or any of its other rides.
While the park will open in April, only its batting cages, basketball courts, playground, volleyball courts, and mini-golf will be available. Groups will also be able to rent Lakemont’s picnic pavilions for gatherings and events.
Leap the Dips is a wooden, figure eight coaster and features single-car, four-passenger trains. They climb a 41-foot lift hill and pass under a distinctive cupola. The drop is a mere 9 feet at a gentle 25 degrees, and the ride lasts about one minute.
The vintage ride is the only surviving side friction coaster in the U.S. The cars have two sets of wheels, one underneath the vehicle that roll along the track and one on the sides of the cars that roll across boards placed perpendicular to the track. The side wheels and side boards steer the cars and keep them tethered to the track. Modern-day coaster trains have up-stop wheels that roll along the bottom of the track to keep them secure.
Among the other rides that will be shuttered at Lakemont Park is Skyliner, a more modern, transplanted wooden coaster that opened in 1987 but originally debuted in 1960 at another location. Also on the midway are Lil’ Leaper, a steel kiddie coaster, along with go-karts, spinning flat rides, and other attractions. This isn’t the first time that Leap the Dips has been out of service at the troubled park. It was standing but not operating from 1986 to 1998 and again from 2017 to 2020.
According to the Altoona Mirror, Lakemont Park, which dates back to 1893, sits on public land, and its operator has a long-term lease with Blair County through 2066. As part of the agreement, the company is obliged to maintain Leap the Dips, which is a protected National Historic Landmark. Lakemont Park is hoping to generate revenue by staging events such as music festivals and craft shows. It is also reaching out to organizations and businesses to discuss partnerships and potential new uses for the property.
Pennsylvania has a high concentration of amusement parks, with 16 operating throughout the state. Nine of them date back to 1909 and earlier. Three Pennsylvania parks, Idlewild, Dorney Park, and Conneaut Lake Park, are older than Lakemont.
With Leap the Dips out of the picture, at least in the short term, the oldest operating coaster in the world is now Scenic Railway at Luna Park in Melbourne, Australia. That ride, which opened in 1912, has an onboard brakeman, one of seven remaining to include that feature. The oldest coaster in the U.S. is The Wild One at Six Flags America in Maryland. The transplanted woodie originally opened in 1917 at the defunct Paragon Park in Massachusetts.
Have you ever been on Leap the Dips? (I regret to say that I have not.) Are you a fan of older parks and classic rides? What do you hope becomes of Leap the Dips?
Lakemont Park's Ferris Wheel and Twister have been purchased by Midway Park in NY State. I Saw the Ferris Wheel is running but the Twister that I see in your picture has not yet been installed. was just at Midway Park yesterday.
Yes, I travelled from North Tonawanda to Lakemont Park in July 2023 just to ride the Leaps & Dips and also the Skyliner. I hope they both can be saved. There are no seat belts or restraints of any kind on Leaps & Dips. Hang on for a wild ride!... So glad I was able to ride both of them. Though the Skyliner structure shook badly when roller coaster travelled, so should probably be looked at for safety.