The Cyclone
An official New York City Landmark since July 12, 1988, Cyclone was listed in the New York State Register of Historic Places on June 31, 1991. National Register designation on June 26, 1991.
Every roller coaster enthusiast around the world has heard of, has ridden or hopes to ride The Cyclone. This historic roller coaster graces virtually every top roller coaster list and publication. Roller Coasters may have gotten bigger and faster, but they have not gotten any better than The Cyclone.
Covering 3000 feet of track in a minute and fifty seconds, the Cyclone carries 24 passengers and reaches speeds of 60 mph. Its biggest drop is 85 feet at a decent angle of 58.1 degrees, making the Cyclone the second-steepest wooden roller coaster in the world.
Before the Cyclone was built in 1927, this site was home to the first roller coaster in the United States, the Switchback Railway, constructed in 1884.
The Switchback Railway
The original Switchback Railway at Coney Island was the first roller coaster designed as an amusement ride in America.
For five cents, riders would climb a tower to board the large bench-like car and were pushed off to coast 600 ft down the track to another tower. The car went just over 6 mph. At the top of the other tower, the vehicle was switched to a return track or "switched back". Riders would have to physically switch to the return car to return to the first tower.
Back to the Cyclone
Today, the Cyclone stands as one of the last remnants of “The Nation’s Playground,” as Coney Island was known in its heyday. Some famed amusement parks, including Dreamland and Luna Park, were destroyed by fire, and Steeplechase Park was unable to survive the area’s economic decline in the 1960s. The once sprawling amusement parks have largely vanished, but the Cyclone remains one of the area’s most popular and prized attractions.
In the mid-1970s, the Cyclone was nearly demolished by the city due to the economic decline. In 1978, however, Mayor Koch’s Parks Commissioner Gordon J. Davis filed a letter requesting the Cyclone be saved, citing changes in prevailing attitudes about the destruction of historic landmarks. In addition, it was believed that the destruction of the Cyclone, without immediate plans to develop the land, would be devastating to the Coney Island economy. Ultimately, the Cyclone was saved from demolition. In 1991, the Cyclone roller coaster was listed on the New York State Register of Historic Places. In a letter requesting landmark status for the Cyclone.The president of the Gravesend Historical society wrote, “Unlike the Dodgers, the Cyclone will never leave Brooklyn.”
Virtual Cache Requirements:
- At the posted coordinates you will find a historic plaque by ACE. The sign reads that riding the Cyclone is “more thrilling than _______”. Send me this key work to claim the find. &
- Post a “geocaching themed” photo of The Cyclone! The photo may include geocachers, a GPS unit, a trackable item or other geocaching merchandise. Even a homemade geocaching sign is fine but make sure the Cyclone is the background or main subject of the photo.
The best photos are of you guys enjoying a ride! But if you cannot ride the Coaster you may take a photo next to it.
- Park hours vary seasonally and due to weather. Please check before you go.
- The ride cost $10
- Minimum height of 54” to ride
- Even if the Coaster is closed you can still walk up close enough to see it 24/7, it's on a public street not inside the Amusement Park.
Virtual Reward - 2017/2018
This Virtual Cache is part of a limited release of Virtuals created between August 24, 2017 and August 24, 2018. Only 4,000 cache owners were given the opportunity to hide a Virtual Cache. Learn more about Virtual Rewards on the Geocaching Blog.
