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Also called a giant wheel or big wheel, the Ferris wheel is one of the most ubiquitous of all carnival rides.
Bumper cars, or dodgems, are small, electrically powered cars designed for one or two people. A rubber bumper surrounds each vehicle, and drivers either ram or dodge each other as they drive.
An endearing carnival ride and a favorite with youngsters, the carousel—better known in Great Britain as the roundabout—is commonly populated with finely decorated wooden horses. But other animals, including mythical beasts such as dragons or unicorns, many also be used as mounts.
Arguably the most popular carnival attraction in any amusement park, the modern rollercoaster ranks among one of the most complex white-knuckle rides ever invented.
The mechanical bull, or bucking bull, replicates the sensation of riding a bucking animal such as a rodeo bull or a horse. Essentially it tests the strength, balance, and insanity level of its human charge.
The waltzer, an attraction of traditional British and Irish fairgrounds, is a rotating ride that operates in much the same way as a carousel. The big difference is the floor of the ride undulates over a track so that the cars rise, fall, and rotate as the ride spins.
Similar in design to the waltzer, the Tilt-a-Whirl ride consists of seven freely-spinning cars set on a rotating platform that hold three or four riders each.
Also known as the swing carousel, wave swinger, and by several other names, the swing ride appears as an untamed version of the more sedate carousel. Passengers are seated in chairs suspended from the rotating top of the carousel high above the ground.
An amusement park staple, shoot the chute is similar in concept to the log flume but uses wide, flat-bottomed boats to propel revelers down a ramp and into a lagoon.
A family favorite, the helter skelter provides a brief but thrilling spiral descent within a chute set on the outside of a lighthouse-shaped tower using a coir mat.
The Loop-O-Plane ride has two arms each with an enclosed car at one end and a counterweight at the other. When operated, the arms swing in directions opposite to each other until they 'loop,' taking the riders upside down.
The Steam Yacht ride consists of two cars designed to hold up to 15 passengers each that swing in pairs or individually in a wide pendulum sweep.
An invention of the Victorian age, the Steam Yacht is designed to resemble exactly that: the deck of a mid-19th-century steam-driven yacht. One of the original white-knuckle rides, few of these vintage carnival rides are still in operation.
Sources: (Explore PA History) (Britannica) (National Fairground and Circus Archive)
See also: Horror stories from Disney parks
The original Ferris wheel made its debut at the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago. It was named for its inventor, George Washington Gale Ferris Jr. (1859–1896).
Some of the earliest bumper car designs date back to early 20th-century England, where they were called wibble-wobbles. Pictured in 1910 are people enjoying a spin in the cars at the Japan-British Exhibition, held in London.
The carousel evolved from a game played by Turkish and Arab horseman in the 12th century when wooden horses were used to hone cavalry skills. "Steam gallopers" started to appear in the mid-19th century when the platform carousel was developed. Pictured in 1895 are revelers at St Giles' Fair in Oxford, England, saddled up on one of the spinning attractions.
American inventor and businessman LaMarcus Adna Thompson (1848– 1919) patented the rollercoaster as we know it today in 1885. The previous year his "switchback railway" made its first appearance at Coney Island in New York City. The oldest rollercoasters, however, are descended from the "Russian Mountains"—winter sled rides that were popular in 17th-century St. Petersburg. Pictured is the Loop the Loop rollercoaster on Young's Pier in Atlantic City, dated to 1902.
The ghost train ride harks back to the days of tunnel railway rides simulated in British fairgrounds in the late 19th century. In the United States, tunnels of love were created where couples were treated to alternating moments of romance (soft light and music to set the mood) and fright (to encourage a reassuring arm over the shoulder).
The waltzer owes a nod towards the whip, a carnival ride originally designed and built for Coney Island's amusement parks. The whip was patented in 1914 by German-American inventor William F. Mangels (1866–1958).
American inventor Herbert Sellner (1887–1930) unveiled the Tilt-a-Whirl in 1926. One year later the ride debuted at the Minnesota State Fair.
One of the earliest variants of the swing ride is pictured here, a dual-axis aerial swing ride called Butterflies operating at a carnival in the United States in the early 1900s.
The helter skelter made its first-ever appearance in 1906 at Blackpool Pleasure Beach in England. By the following year, this popular fairground attraction was springing up all over the United Kingdom, including in Nottinghamshire (pictured).
The Loop-O-Plane ride originated in America in 1933, invented by civil aviation pioneer Lee Eyerly (1892–1963). An example is pictured here in 1938 at Coney Island.
Although the concept was first seen at Paris' Jardin Ruggieri in 1817, the ride is credited to a gentleman by the name of J.P. Newburg. His device, unveiled at the Watch Tower Park in Rock Island, Illinois, in the 1880s, used a greased wooden track set down the side of a hill to propel a toboggan into the Rock River. Pictured is a Shoot the Chute ride at Coney Island in 1903.
The ghost train ride, sometimes referred to as a dark ride, takes passengers aboard guided vehicles through a meandering tunnel specially lit with spooky scenes where animated 'ghosts,' 'ghouls,' and other odious and supernatural creatures frighten the pants off innocent carnival-goers.
The log flume (or log ride) experience sees passengers sitting in hollowed-out artificial logs that are propelled along the flume, or channel, by a flow of water.
The log flume ride originates from the method used by loggers in the 19th century to transport timber to saw mills via a water-filled chute. By the early 20th century, old mill rides began to appear at carnivals, from which the log flume attraction developed.
Originally used to train cowboys and rodeo competitors, early practice bulls were little more than large barrels suspended from four ropes set within a moveable wooden frame. Texas entrepreneur Sherwood Cryer (1927–2009) is credited with popularizing the modern version.
Amusement and theme parks across the world feature some of the most iconic carnival and fairground attractions ever created, things like the Ferris wheel, the rollercoaster, and the carousel. But have you ever wondered when these spectacular rides were invented, and by whom?
Click through and enjoy the thrill of finding out!
The origins of your favorite carnival rides
The history of fairground attractions
LIFESTYLE History
Amusement and theme parks across the world feature some of the most iconic carnival and fairground attractions ever created, things like the Ferris wheel, the rollercoaster, and the carousel. But have you ever wondered when these spectacular rides were invented, and by whom?
Click through and enjoy the thrill of finding out!