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Where Did They Come From?
If you visit an amusement park today, each roller coaster seems more hi-tech than the last. Throughout history, roller coasters have evolved quite a bit. Roller coasters had their beginnings in Russia during the 1400 or 1500’s. People from that time used to climb a seventy-foot ladder, jump on a wooden sled, and slide down a two-foot wide ramp that was frozen over with ice! Eventually, this spot in Russia became known as the Russian Mountains. It was so much fun that the idea spread to neighboring countries. People in France discovered that when the ice melted they couldn’t go on the really rad coasters anymore! So they made some changes. French people began to use carts that rolled over wooden rollers, thus the name "roller coaster." They created a coaster that rolled along a six hundred foot straightaway. They even added a few lights for night time fun! So next time you go on a roller coaster, think about how your great, great, great grandparents went on them, too! |
