New York Home To Oldest Roller Coaster In America

The weather is warming up and if you want to get the family out to enjoy it, take them to ride the oldest roller coaster in America, which is located right here in New York State.

Constructed in 1920, The Jack Rabbit is located at Seabreeze amusement park in Irondequoit, New York. It was first opened on May 31st and at the time that it was opened, it was the fastest roller coaster in the country at 50 miles per hour.

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According to Wikipedia, The Jack Rabbit roller coaster was built to go around the park’s natural topography.  The ride features 2,130 feet of track with a first drop that is 75 feet high. The track also has camel-back, airtime-producing hills, and a tunneled helix with a final surprise drop through the ravine before returning to the station. The tunnel on the track was added in 1928.

Currently, the Jack Rabbit is the fourth oldest operating roller coaster in the world and the second oldest non-continuously running roller coaster in the United States. The oldest, Leap-The-Dips in Altoona, Pennsylvania, was closed from 1985 to 1999.

If you want to ride the Jack Rabbit yourself, you can check out Seabreeze Amusement Park during their summer hours. Most days the park is open from 11 am until 8 pm. Get park hours and ticket information HERE.