List of amusement rides

"Carnival ride" redirects here. For the album by Carrie Underwood, see Carnival Ride.

Early pleasure wheel in Russia, 1807

Amusement rides, sometimes called carnival rides, are mechanical devices or structures that move people to create fun and enjoyment.

Rides are often perceived by many as being scary or more dangerous than they actually are. This could be due to the design, having acrophobia, or from hearing about accidents involving rides that are similar. For some, the adrenaline associated with riding amusement rides is part of the experience.

They are common at most annual events such as fairs, traveling carnivals, and circuses around the world. Sometimes music festivals and concerts also host amusement park rides.

Types of rides

• Flat rides are usually those that move their passengers on a plane generally parallel to the ground, such as rides that spin around a vertical axis, like carousels and twists; and ground-level rides such as bumper cars. The term is also used to refer to amusement rides that are not classified as dark rides, rollercoasters, transport rides, or water rides.
• In gravity rides, gravity is responsible for all or some of the movement where any vertical movement is not about a fixed point, such as roller coasters, water slides and drop towers.
• Vertical rides usually move their passengers in a vertical plane and around a fixed point, such as Ferris wheels, Enterprise and Skydiver.
• As of the 2010s, some rides employ virtual reality.

Specific themes

• Dark rides
• Bumper cars
• Haunted house
• Funhouse
• Pendulum ride
• Rollercoaster
• Ferris wheel
• Drop Tower

List of amusement rides

This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by editing the page to add missing items, with references to reliable sources.

Year	Name(s)	Image	Type	Notes
1898	Aeriocycle			The Aeriocycle, or Giant See Saw, has two ferris wheels on both sides of a swinging arm. It originated at the Tennessee Centennial Exposition, and moved to the Pan-American Exposition before moving to Coney Island's Steeplechase Park.
1954	Ali Baba		Pendulum ride	The Ali Baba is a type of amusement ride consisting of a stationary horizontal gondola with a 360 degree swinging pendulum.
1961	Alpine slide			A summer toboggan is an amusement or recreational ride which uses a bobsled-like sled or cart to run down a track usually built on the side of a hill. There are two main types: an Alpine coaster or mountain coaster is a type of roller coaster where the sled runs on rails and is not able to leave the tracks, whereas with an Alpine slide the sled simply runs on a smooth concave track usually made of metal, concrete or fibreglass. Both of these types of ride are sometimes denoted with the German name Sommerrodelbahn.
1949	Arrow Flight (Antique Cars)			First produced by Arrow Development, Cars are guided along a track on an electric ground rail. Versions at Disneyland and Knotts Berry Farm would follow in the 1950s, raising the ride's popularity.
1948	Balloon Race			The Zamperla Balloon Race is a tilting, circular motion amusement park ride manufactured by Antonio Zamperla S.p.A. The ride makes its way up a structure, and at a certain height, it starts tilting.
1908	Barrel of Love			Also known as a Jolly Tube and Barrels of Fun, the amusement first appeared at Steeplechase Park
1965	Bayern Kurve			The Bayern Kurve is a roller coaster like amusement ride that moves a train around a banked circular track, gaining speed as the ride progresses. It is made in both a portable and park model and originally debuted in 1965. It was invented by German engineer Anton Schwarzkopf.
1952	Booster (Fabbri)		Pendulum ride	Booster in an amusement ride made by Fabbri.
1998	Booster (HUSS)			The Booster is an amusement park ride made originally by HUSS Maschinenfabrik starting in 1998.
1985	Breakdance			Breakdance is an amusement ride designed by Huss Maschinenfabrik GmbH & Co. KG in 1985.
1972	Bumper boats		Water ride	Bumper boats are an amusement park ride that uses inner tube shaped watercraft that can be steered by the rider. Some are driven by electric motors, some by gasoline engines, and some require the rider to propel the craft by pedaling. Most are equipped with water guns for duels with other riders. Bumper boat attractions can commonly be found in places such as amusement parks, carnivals, fairs, family fun centers, and theme parks.
1939	Bubble bounce			First opened in Euclid Beach Park in 1939. Renamed the Tip Top when manufactured by Frank Hrubetz & Company in 1965.A rotating main platform circles several tubs that can be spun by the rider.
1920s	Bumper cars		Dodgems	Bumper cars or dodgems are the generic names for a type of flat amusement ride consisting of multiple small electrically powered cars which draw power from the floor or ceiling, and which are turned on and off remotely by an operator. They are also known as bumping cars, dodging cars and dashing cars. The first patent for them was filed in 1921.
1909	Cakewalk			Walkways move up and down with the intent of keeping the people on it off-balance and throwing them into each other.
1960	Calypso			Made it's North American debut at Century 21 Exposition in 1962.
Late 1600s	Carousel		Merry-Go-Round	A carousel is a type of amusement ride consisting of a rotating circular platform with seats for riders. The "seats" are traditionally in the form of rows of wooden horses or other animals mounted on posts, many of which are moved up and down by gears to simulate galloping, to the accompaniment of looped circus music.
1922	Caterpillar			The Caterpillar ride is a vintage flat ride engineered by the inventor Hyla F. Maynes of North Tonawanda, New York, that seems to have been first operated by the Johnny Jones Exposition traveling show in 1922. It generates a significant amount of centrifugal force, causing the riders on the inside of the seats to crush the riders on the outside of the seats. It was once found at nearly every amusement park around the United States, but is now very rare.
1996	Chaos
1954	Cliffhanger			The Cliff Hanger is an amusement park rider that is meant to simulate hang gliding.
1984	Condor			The Condor is the trade name of an amusement ride sold by HUSS of Bremen, Germany. It was debuted at the 1984 New Orleans World's Fair, under the name "Cyclo Tower".
1993	Crazy Bus
2003	Disk'O			The Disk'O (also known as Skater or Surf's Up) is a type of flat ride manufactured by Zamperla of Italy. The ride is a larger version of a Rockin' Tug, also manufactured by Zamperla.
1907	Devil's wheel
1943	Double Shot		Drop tower	a drop tower that drops riders down at high speeds
1972	Enterprise
1992	Evolution		pendulum ride
1980	Explorer
1893	Ferris wheel
1972	Fireball
1989	Flight Trainer
1982	Flying Carpet			Also known as a Magic Carpet, the most famous is 1001 Nacht.
1959	Flying Coaster
1935	Flying Scooters
1948	Fly-O-Plane
1953	Freak out		Pendulum ride
1982	Freefall		Drop tower	riders freefall at a high speeds
1994	Frisbee		Pendulum ride
1900	Funhouse
1954	Fun Slide
1983	Gravitron
1954	Gyro tower
1999	Happy Swing
1893	Haunted swing			A haunted swing is a vintage amusement ride that creates the illusion of apparent motion by independently rotating the room around a swinging platform.
	Hayride
1905	Helter skelter
1940s	Hurricane
1960s	Infinity		Pendulum ride
1950s	Inversion		Pendulum ride
1950s	Jump and Smile
1984	Kamikaze		Pendulum ride
1940s	Kiddie Boat Ride		Kiddie ride	Manufactured by Allan Herschell Company after WWII. Based on roundabout.
1930	Kiddie ride			A kiddie ride is a child-sized, themed, mildly interactive coin-operated ride that can be ridden by young children for amusement.
1980s	Lazy river		Water ride
1963	Log flume		Water ride
1942	Looper/Rok'n'Rol			Originated in 1942 and made by the Herschell Company, The Looper was renamed the Rok'n'Rol when produced by Chance Rides. The Looper fetured two seats in the gondolas where riders can flip the gondola by engaging a peddle. The Rok'n'Rol featured four seats, and the flipping was controled by the ride operator.
1982	Looping Starship		Pendulum ride
1952	Loop Fighter		Pendulum ride
1933	Loop-O-Plane
1933	Loop-the-Loop
1929	Madhouse		Dark ride
1989	Magic		Flat ride
2007	Magic Bikes		Flat ride
1926	Matterhorn
1930s	Mechanical bull
1982	Miami		Thrill ride
1996	Mixer
1977	Monster
1986	Motion simulator
1954	Music Express
1952	Octopus
1895	Old Mill		Water ride
1968	Omnimover
1976	Orbiter
1937	Parachute Tower			First Parachute Tower was Pair-O-Chutes in Riverview Park in Chicago. Most famous is the Parachute Jump at the 1939 World's Fair, which was moved to Coney Island.
1957	Paratrooper
c.1893	Pirate Ship		Pendulum ride
1999	Power Surge
1983	Rainbow
1981	Ranger		Pendulum ride
1971	Red Baron
c.1978	Reverse bungee
1956	River caves		Water ride
1980	River rapids ride		Water ride
1978	Rockin' Tug
1948	Rock-O-Plane
1974	Rockstar		Pendulum ride
1700s	Roller coaster			The roller coaster is an amusement ride developed for amusement parks and modern theme parks. LaMarcus Adna Thompson obtained a patent regarding roller coasters on January 20, 1885, which were made out of wood, but this patent is considerably later than the "Russian mountains" described in the article.
2013	Rollglider			The Rollglider is a type of a thrill amusement ride that has a steel pipe track designed with turns, dips and loops, using gravity-propelled trolleys to slide down the track.
1970s	Roll-O-Plane
1940s	Rotor			The Rotor is an amusement ride designed and patented by German engineer Ernst Hoffmeister in 1948. The ride was first demonstrated at Oktoberfest 1949 and still appears in numerous amusement parks. The Rotor is a large, upright barrel, rotated to create an inward acting centripetal force supplied by the wall's support force. Once at full speed, the floor is retraced, leaving the riders stuck to the wall of the drum.
1954	Roto Jets			Also just referred to as Jets. Kiddie version is Junior Jets.
1990s	Rotoshake		Pendulum ride
1940s	Round Up
1938	Scrambler		Flat ride
2004	Screamin' Swing		Pendulum ride	A larger version of the Happy Swing.
1884	Shoot the Chute		Water ride
2016	Sidecar		Flat ride
2003	Sky Swatter
1992	Skycoaster
1965	Skydiver
2012	Sky Fly		Flat Ride	A ride that has an arm that spins carrying suspended riders. The riders can flip themself using the wings on each side of the seat.
2009	Sky Roller		Flat Ride
1963	Sky Wheel			The Skywheel is a ride that is essentially a double Ferris Wheel with each wheel attached on each end of a large boom that rotates on its axis causing the wheels to rise and fall while rotating independently as they rotate around the boom axis causing a gravitational thrill more spectacular than a normal Ferris Wheel. The ride was constructed by now defunct company Allan Herschell Company.
1891	Somers' Roundabout		Flat Ride	A wooden precursor to the Ferris wheel.
1996	Space Shot		Drop tower
2000	Speed		Pendulum ride
1940s	Star Flyer		Swing ride
1897	Steeplechase Ride
1955	Super Shot		Drop tower
1996	Super Star
1960	Swing Around
1830s	Swing boat		Pendulum ride
1951	Tagada
1948	Teacups			Originally called the Cuddle Up when it debuted in 1948 at Rocky Point Park, the ride would become very popular after a teacup variation appeared at Disneyland in 1955. Similar to the Crazy Daisy.
1914	The Whip
1926	Tilt-A-Whirl
1996	Top Scan
1990	Top Spin
2002	Topple Tower		Pendulum ride
1955	Tornado (Mondial)
1951	Tornado (Wisdom)
1944	Tow boat ride		Water ride
1963	Trabant			Also known as the Satellite and Hully Gully.
Late 1800s	Train ride
1977	Tri-Star		Flat ride
1970s	Troika		Flat ride
1930s	Tumble Bug
1970	Turbo
1950s	Turbo Drop		Drop tower
2011	Twist 'n' Splash			A Teacups variant with water elements. Two models exist, Twist 'n' Splash produced by Mack Rides and Watermania produced by Zamperla.
1978	UFO
1957	UltraMax
1933	Waltzer
2015	Windstarz
1963	Wipeout
1907	Witching Waves			Witching Waves is a historical flat ride that propels light cars using waves created in its flexible metal oval track by levers underneath that rise and fall in sequence.
1968	Zipper
2001	Downdraft

Literature

• Florian Dering: Volksbelustigungen. Eine bildreiche Kulturgeschichte von den Fahr-, Belustigungs- und Geschicklichkeitsgeschäften der Schausteller vom achtzehnten Jahrhundert bis zur Gegenwart. Greno, Nördlingen 1986, ISBN 3-89190-005-8.
• Karl Ruisinger: Kirmes Special. Karussells 1950er und 1960er Jahre (= Kirmes Special 1). Gemi Verlag, Reichertshausen 2005, ISBN 3-9808913-3-X.
• Sacha-Roger Szabo: Rausch und Rummel. Attraktionen auf Jahrmärkten und in Vergnügungsparks. Eine soziologische Kulturgeschichte. transcript-Verlag, Bielefeld 2006, ISBN 3-89942-566-9 (Zugleich: Freiburg, Univ., Diss., 2006).

External links

• Ride-Index.de − Datenbank der Reisenden Fahrgeschäfte in Deutschland (in German)
• History of Fairs - Fairground Rides - Modern Rides :: National Fairground Archive
• U.S. patents for roller coasters and related rides