Sea Dragon (roller coaster) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Sea Dragon |
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| Rides At Adventure Cove | |
| Location | Rides At Adventure Cove |
| Coordinates | 40°09′16″N 83°07′13″W / 40.154398°N 83.120259°W |
| Status | Open |
| Opening date | 1956 |
| General statistics | |
| Type | Wood |
| Manufacturer | Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters |
| Designer | John C. Allen |
| Track layout | Figure Eight |
| Lift/launch system | Chain lift hill |
| Height | 37 ft (11 m) |
| Length | 1,320 ft (400 m) |
| Speed | 25 mph (40 km/h) |
| Inversions | 0 |
| Duration | 1:30 |
| Max vertical angle | 45° |
| Capacity | 640 riders per hour |
| Height restriction | 42 in (107 cm) |
| Sea Dragon at RCDB | |
The Sea Dragon is a fun wooden roller coaster located at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium in Powell, Ohio. You can find this exciting ride in the Rides At Adventure Cove part of the zoo. It's a special type of roller coaster known as a "junior" wooden coaster.
About the Sea Dragon
The Sea Dragon was built by a famous company called Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters (PTC). A very talented designer named John C. Allen created it. The roller coaster first opened in 1956. Back then, it was known by a different name: Jet Flyer.
John C. Allen became the president of PTC in 1954. The Sea Dragon was one of three junior wooden coasters he designed around that time. The other two were called Flyer and Valley Volcano. These designs were inspired by the work of another legendary coaster architect, Herbert Schmeck, who was Allen's teacher.
After the other two coasters were taken down in the late 1980s, the Sea Dragon became very special. It is now the oldest roller coaster designed by John Allen that is still running today.
How the Ride Works
The Sea Dragon has one train with four cars. Each car can hold four riders, with two people sitting side-by-side in two rows. This means a total of 16 people can ride the coaster at one time.
When the train is in the station, the brakes are controlled by hand. Operators use special levers to stop and start the train.
Its Place in Ohio History
In 2007, another famous roller coaster in Ohio, the Big Dipper at Geauga Lake, closed down. After that, the Sea Dragon became the oldest wooden roller coaster still operating in the entire state of Ohio.
