History of the West Park Neighborhood
Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, Ohio

Believe it or not in Ohio between 1928 to  1956 you could drive your car on a roller coaster!

Article by Gary Swilik

From the moment people discovered it was fun to ride down hills in anything on wheels the development of the roller coaster was probably inevitable. The first real roller coaster, with cars locked onto a track, was built in Paris in 1817. By the 1920s no amusement park was complete without an impressive roller coaster. Many remember that West Park had their own world-class coaster –  The Cyclone – which ran at Puritas Springs Park from 1928 to 1956. Far fewer know there was once a roller coaster for automobiles near Cleveland Airport.

Yes, a roller coaster for cars. People paid a fee to drive their automobile over a series of eleven hills on a U-shaped elevated roadway constructed of wood. The peak of each hill was nine feet high and the distance from crest to crest was 112 feet. For about a dime riders could experience the thrills and chills of a roller coaster without leaving their own car. Read the rest of Gary’s article here