National Register of Historic Places

Lagoon Roller Coaster

Farmington, Davis County, Utah
Listed
October 23, 2012
Type
Structure
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
12000885

About this property

The Roller Coaster is a wooden roller coaster located at Lagoon Amusement Park in Farmington, Utah. Built in 1921 and operating ever since, the Roller Coaster is the fifth oldest operating roller coaster in the world, the third oldest operating in the United States, and the oldest at Lagoon. The Roller Coaster was designed by John A. Miller and opened in 1921. In 1953, a fire that spread across the west side of the Midway damaged the coaster, meaning the station and lift hill had to be rebuilt. Over the years it has received computer upgrades and new trains. In 2005, it became an American Coaster Enthusiasts (ACE) Roller Coaster Landmark. In October 2012, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. In early 2018, new Millennium Flyer trains from Great Coasters International (GCI) replaced the former Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters (PTC) trains. The station was also reconfigured, with the entrance and exit swapped. The Roller Coaster starts with a turn out of the station where it enters the lift hill. The train rises 60 feet (18 m), and then plunges down the first hill, and up the next and down again around the west turn, into several more series of hills which gradually get smaller. It goes through two more turns before returning to the station. In 1934, 20-year-old Henry Howe of Ogden, Utah fell to his death as he attempted to stand up when the train was on its highest hill. Howe hit a number of support trestles on the way down. In 1946, James Young Hess was struck by the train as he was working on scaffolding on the ride. Hess suffered skull, leg and arm fractures, as well as internal injuries, before dying on September 1, 1946. In 1989, a 13-year-old girl slipped out from under the restraint and fell 35 feet to her death. She died at the scene. Lagoon made safety adjustments to the trains before reopening the ride, and new restraints were added the following year. Amusement rides on the National Register of Historic Places National Register of Historic Places listings in Davis County, Utah Roller Coaster (Lagoon) at the Roller Coaster DataBase

Location

375 N. Lagoon Dr.
Farmington, Davis County, Utah
40.98662, -111.89502

Categories

ENGINEERINGENTERTAINMENT/RECREATION
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Nearby Historic Sites

Lagoon Carousel
Industrial
0 mi
Lagoon Flying Scooter
Industrial
0.2 mi
Taylor, John W., Janet (Nettie), and May Rich, House
Industrial
0.2 mi
Clark Lane Historic District (Additional Documentation)
Listed
0.4 mi
Haight, Hector C., House
Industrial
0.4 mi

Questions about this property

When was Lagoon Roller Coaster listed on the National Register?

Lagoon Roller Coaster was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 23, 2012.

What type of historic resource is Lagoon Roller Coaster?

Lagoon Roller Coaster is classified as a structure in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Lagoon Roller Coaster?

The period of significance for Lagoon Roller Coaster is recorded as the industrial era.

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