PENNSYLVANIA - Located in Altoona, Pennsylvania, the world's oldest roller coaster in operation still runs today. 
A Ride Back in Time: The Story of the World's Oldest Roller Coaster
In an age of towering steel coasters that break speed and height records, the world's oldest operating roller coaster offers a different kind of thrill: a ride straight back to 1902. This historic marvel, named Leap the Dips, is the crown jewel of Lakemont Park in Altoona, Pennsylvania.
Built by the Federal Construction Company as a replacement for the park's "Gravity Railroad," Leap the Dips is a living piece of amusement park history and a designated National Historic Landmark.
The Last of Its Kind
Leap the Dips is not just old; it represents a forgotten era of engineering. It is the only "side friction" roller coaster left in all of North America.
Unlike modern coasters, which have wheels on the top, bottom, and side of the track to lock the car in place, side friction coasters are much simpler. The four-person vehicles (with two rows of two seats) roll along a wooden track, guided only by "under-wheels" for rolling and side wheels to keep them from bumping off the track. The ride itself is a gentle, figure-eight journey with a modest top drop of just nine feet.
A Comeback Story for the Ages
Wooden roller coasters were incredibly popular in the early 20th century, but as technology advanced, most side friction rides fell into disrepair and were torn down. Leap the Dips almost met the same fate.
After sitting dormant for years, a massive community-led restoration effort began in 1997 to save the coaster from demolition. Carpenters and local banks worked together to raise funds and painstakingly bring the ride back to life. In an incredible feat of preservation, they managed to retain 70 percent of the original wooden lumber.
On Memorial Day, May 31, 1999, Leap the Dips was triumphantly reopened to the public. Today, anyone over 42 inches tall can take a ride on this gentle classic and experience the simple joy and rattling sounds of a true turn-of-the-century amusement.