Leap-The-Dips
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Leap-The-Dips is a
wooden roller coaster A wooden roller coaster is a type of roller coaster classified by its wooden track, which consists of running rails made of flat steel strips mounted on laminated wood. The support structure is also typically made of wood, but may also be ...
located at
Lakemont Park Lakemont Park is an amusement park located in Altoona, Pennsylvania. The park opened in 1894 as a trolley park and became an amusement park in 1899. It is one of only thirteen trolley parks still operating, and the 8th oldest amusement park in ...
near
Altoona, Pennsylvania Altoona ( ) is a city in Blair County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 43,963 at the time of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. It is the principal city of the Altoona Metropolitan statistical area, metropolitan area, w ...
. Built in 1902 by the Federal Construction Company and designed by E. Joy Morris, it is the oldest standing roller coaster in the world and believed to be the last surviving side friction roller coaster of the figure-eight variety. Leap-the-Dips operated continuously until 1985, when it closed after falling into disrepair. A fundraising campaign led to its restoration, with refurbishment efforts beginning in 1997 and ending with a grand-reopening in 1999. It was designated a
National Historic Landmark A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a National Register of Historic Places property types, building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the Federal government of the United States, United States government f ...
in 1996 and received the Coaster Classic and
Coaster Landmark American Coaster Enthusiasts (ACE) is a non-profit organization focusing on the enjoyment, knowledge, and preservation of roller coasters as well as recognition of some as architectural and engineering landmarks. Dues-paying members receive th ...
awards from
American Coaster Enthusiasts American Coaster Enthusiasts (ACE) is a non-profit organization focusing on the enjoyment, knowledge, and preservation of roller coasters as well as recognition of some as architectural and engineering landmarks. Dues-paying members receive th ...
(ACE).


History

Leap-The-Dips was designed by Edward Joy Morris and constructed by the Federal Construction Company. It opened to the public in 1902 at
Lakemont Park Lakemont Park is an amusement park located in Altoona, Pennsylvania. The park opened in 1894 as a trolley park and became an amusement park in 1899. It is one of only thirteen trolley parks still operating, and the 8th oldest amusement park in ...
. Its figure-eight design was common on
side friction roller coaster A side friction roller coaster is an early roller coaster design invented by Edward Joy Morris. The design introduced side-friction wheels to help prevent trains from derailing during curved portions of the track. In addition to weight-bearing whe ...
s constructed in the early 1900s, reaching peak popularity in the
Roaring Twenties The Roaring Twenties, sometimes stylized as Roaring '20s, refers to the 1920s decade in music and fashion, as it happened in Western world, Western society and Western culture. It was a period of economic prosperity with a distinctive cultura ...
. Leap-The-Dips is one of the few coasters to survive from the era and is considered the oldest operating roller coaster in the world. The roller coaster endured rough times near the turn of the century. In 1985, the attraction closed as a result of structural integrity concerns and lack of maintenance funds. A fundraising effort initiated by the
American Coaster Enthusiasts American Coaster Enthusiasts (ACE) is a non-profit organization focusing on the enjoyment, knowledge, and preservation of roller coasters as well as recognition of some as architectural and engineering landmarks. Dues-paying members receive th ...
organization led to the formation of the Leap-The-Dips Foundation, which accepted private donations and worked with eight local banks along with the Progress Fund to save the roller coaster from demolition. Restoration began in 1997, utilizing carpentry techniques that were performed during its original construction, with over seventy percent of the original wood remaining intact. Leap-The-Dips officially reopened to the public on May 31, 1999. Prior to its restoration by P. Joseph Lehman, Inc., Consulting Engineers, the roller coaster was added to the list of
National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...
in 1993. Several years later in 1996, it was designated a
National Historic Landmark A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a National Register of Historic Places property types, building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the Federal government of the United States, United States government f ...
. Following its reopening, ACE awarded Leap-The-Dips two awards, the Coaster Landmark Award and the Coaster Classic Award. In early 2017, it was announced that Lakemont Park would undergo a complete restoration and transformation that would require the park to remain closed for one season; and announced that it would remain closed during the 2018 season with plans to reopen as a "family entertainment location with some amusements" in the summer of 2019. The park opened in 2019. The coaster did not open in the 2024 season.


Description and design

Leap-The-Dips occupies a rectangular area measuring on the grounds of Lakemont Park. The track is arranged in a figure-eight layout and mounted on wooden trestles. The entry and exit station is an open,
hipped-roof A hip roof, hip-roof or hipped roof, is a type of roof where all sides slope downward to the walls, usually with a fairly gentle slope, with variants including tented roofs and others. Thus, a hipped roof has no gables or other vertical sides ...
pavilion, and cars are stored in a nearby shed when not in use. The track's form has been altered very little since its original construction, with portions of the track – mostly wood – being replaced by steel in areas of exceptionally high wear, along with the conversion of the lift chain to steel. The lift mechanism includes a ratchet system to prevent cars from rolling backwards in the event of a chain failure. The ride cars resemble sleighs featuring four
flange A flange is a protruded ridge, lip or rim (wheel), rim, either external or internal, that serves to increase shear strength, strength (as the flange of a steel beam (structure), beam such as an I-beam or a T-beam); for easy attachment/transfer o ...
d wheels underneath and two unflanged wheels projecting to each side. The track traverses two and a half circuits of a figure-eight, passing through the trestle structure at different levels. Although the ride is quite tame by modern standards with a height of and speed of , it remains a popular attraction due to its historical significance. Side friction roller coasters were an early innovation in roller coasters which enabled them to run at greater speeds and without a brakeman. Extra wheels were mounted on the sides of the cars to guide their movement on the track. This design became obsolete after
World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
when side friction was supplanted by under-track mechanisms, which offered better vehicle security and support for greater speeds. There have been roller coasters similar to Leap-The-Dips in other parks in the past, including an identical Leap the Dips at
Mounds State Park Mounds State Park is a state park near Anderson, Indiana, Anderson, Madison County, Indiana featuring Native Americans in the United States, Native American heritage, and ten ceremonial mounds built by the prehistoric Adena culture indigenous peo ...
in
Anderson, Indiana Anderson is a city in and the county seat of Madison County, Indiana, United States. The population was 54,788 at the 2020 census. It is named after Chief William Anderson. The city is the headquarters of the Church of God and its Anderson ...
, which closed in 1929. Very few side friction roller coasters survived into the 1980s, and Leap-the-Dips at Lakemont Park is believed to be the last remaining figure-eight model of its kind still in operation. With .


See also

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Amusement rides on the National Register of Historic Places List of amusement rides, Amusement rides currently and previously listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) are located throughout the United States. These ride listings consist mainly of 54 carousels (49 listed and 5 deli ...
*
List of National Historic Landmarks in Pennsylvania This is a List of National Historic Landmarks in Pennsylvania. There are 169 in the state. Listed in the tables below are the 102 NHLs outside Philadelphia. For the 67 within Philadelphia, see List of National Historic Landmarks in Philadelphi ...
*
National Register of Historic Places listings in Blair County, Pennsylvania __NOTOC__ This is a list of the National Register of Historic Places listings in Blair County, Pennsylvania. This is intended to be a complete list of the properties and districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Blair County, Pe ...


References


External links


Homepage of the Leap-The-Dips Preservation FoundationLakemont Park and Island WaterparkLeap-The-Dips front seat on-ride HD POV
on YouTube
Circa 1908-1911 picture of Leap-The-Dips at Mounds State Park
{{ACE Coaster Classics Amusement-related National Historic Landmarks Buildings and structures on the National Register of Historic Places in Pennsylvania National Historic Landmarks in Pennsylvania National Register of Historic Places in Blair County, Pennsylvania Roller coasters in Pennsylvania 1902 establishments in Pennsylvania Amusement rides introduced in 1902 Roller coasters introduced in 1902