Nearly 100-year-old coaster has a top speed of 60 mph
The Coney Island Cyclone is more than just a roller coaster. It is a piece of history.
Built in 1927, the Cyclone has survived natural disasters, park closures, the rapid development of a city and numerous other threats to its existence. It is one of the oldest still-operating roller coasters in the United States and can be ridden today at Coney Island's Luna Park.
"A trip to New York isn't complete without taking a ride on the world-famous Cyclone," Derek Perry, communications director for American Coaster Enthusiasts, told Fox News Digital in an email.
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But what makes this coaster so special? Read on.
1. It's a recognized landmark
The Cyclone is recognized as significant — not only by roller coaster enthusiasts but by state and national authorities.
The Coney Island Cyclone has been thrilling riders since 1927. (Bob Henriques/Pix/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images; Joan Slatkin/Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
The American Coaster Enthusiasts designated the Cyclone as an "ACE Roller Coaster Landmark" on June 2, 2002, according to its website.
This designation is given to "rides of historical significance," it said.
"For generations, when people thought of roller coasters, they thought of Coney Island's Cyclone," Perry told Fox News Digital.
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In 1988, New York City's Landmarks Preservation Commission designated the Cyclone as a landmark, stating that the ride is "often cited as one of our country's best designed roller coasters" and was one of fewer than 100 wood-track roller coasters remaining in the United States.
Three years later, the National Register of Historic Places added the "Cyclone Roller Coaster" to its database. It is one of just five roller coasters to have earned this honor.
"The Cyclone Roller Coaster still conveys the excitement of the coasters once so prevalent at Coney Island; it remains a rare, significant survivor of the earlier era," the National Register of Historic Places said.
The Cyclone was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1991. (Alexi Rosenfeld/Getty Images)
2. It's largely unchanged
Today, the Cyclone has a drop of 85 feet, a length of 2,640 feet and a top speed of 60 mph, according to the ACE website.
And that's not all too different from how it was when it first opened on June 26, 1927.
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In 1939, 12 years after its opening, renovations to the Cyclone shortened the first drop by five feet, and "some of the coaster's curves were realigned at that time to provide a quicker, more jolting, ride," the National Register of Historic Places said.
Since then, the roller coaster has only undergone routine maintenance to replace parts that have deteriorated and has not had any other significant changes to its layout.
The Cyclone, seen here in this 1952 image, is one of the few remaining wood-track roller coasters in the United States. (Bob Henriques/Pix/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)
"So much work and passion has gone into preserving this classic and making riders want to experience it over and over again," Perry said.
3. It's often imitated, but not duplicated
"Roller coaster manufacturers have attempted to recreate Cyclone's wild ride at other amusement parks, but none have been able to duplicate what makes the original so special," Perry said.
The Roller Coaster Database lists eight tracks with the "Cyclone" layout, including the Coney Island Cyclone.
The Coney Island Cyclone has a drop of 85 feet and a top speed of 60 mph. (Joan Slatkin/Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
Apart from the Coney Island Cyclone, the only other coasters with the layout that are currently operating are "Bandit" at Movie Park Germany in Bottrop, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, and "Viper" at Six Flags Great America in Gurnee, Illinois.
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The Cyclone's "power continues from the first drop, around every turn and into the final brake run. Riders feel a rush of exhilaration when riding, and that level of consistent excitement can't be matched on any other wooden roller coaster," Perry said.
"Riders feel a rush of exhilaration when riding, and that level of consistent excitement can't be matched on any other wooden roller coaster."
The combination of the ride's history, its location in New York City and "the dedication of the people who take care of the coaster" make the Cyclone "stand apart from all the others," he said.
4. It's a survivor
"The wooden coaster's history is full of as many ups and downs as the ride itself," Perry noted.
He continued, "Having been in danger of not surviving throughout the years, it's now thriving, and a ride on it is as good, if not better, than it ever was."
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An incomplete list of things that have threatened the Cyclone in its nearly century-long run include the Great Depression, the sale and closure of its amusement park, multiple hurricanes and several fires.
5. It inspired a baseball team's name
Just down the street from Luna Park is Maimonides Park, home of the Brooklyn Cyclones.
The Cyclones are the minor-league affiliate of the New York Mets.
The Cyclones played their first games in 2001. The year before, there was a naming contest for the new team, which saw more than 7,000 submissions, the New York Post reported at the time.
The Brooklyn Cyclones, a minor league baseball team, were named after the Coney Island Cyclone roller coaster. (Cindy Ord/Getty Images)
More than 1,000 of the 7,000 submissions were for the "Cyclones," officials at the time said.
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"Of course, we had a few that asked for the Dodgers to be used in the name," Steve Cohen, general manager of the Brooklyn Baseball Co., said at the time.
"Sweathogs, Honeymooners – you name it, we had it. But I think far and away the 'Cyclones' was the best name we had," he said.
Christine Rousselle is a lifestyle reporter with Fox News Digital.
