Amusement Park Trivia

Long before theme parks had mascots and gift shops, they were just clever excuses to make people scream on purpose.

Built for a Fair, Built to Last

The Ferris Wheel wasn't originally meant to be a permanent fixture — engineer George Ferris built it for the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago, hoping to out-do the Eiffel Tower from Paris's fair four years earlier. Roller coasters have similarly humble origins: LaMarcus Adna Thompson's 1884 "Switchback Railway" at Coney Island is often called one of America's first.

America's Playgrounds

• Coney Island's beachfront parks, including Luna Park and Dreamland, defined early American amusement culture.
• Disneyland opened in Anaheim, California, in 1955, followed by Florida's Magic Kingdom in 1971.
• Ohio's Cedar Point has earned a reputation as the "Roller Coaster Capital of the World."

Chasing Records

Parks have long competed on superlatives, from Six Flags — named for the six nations whose flags have flown over Texas — to Formula Rossa at Ferrari World Abu Dhabi, frequently cited among the fastest coasters ever built. Every generation seems to find a new way to make gravity feel thrilling again.