Waldameer is an amusement and water park in Erie, Pennsylvania. It features The Ravine Flyer II, which is the only coaster in the world to cross a four-lane highway. This park is also the tenth oldest amusement park in the United States. It is also only one of 11 trolly parks still operating in the country. Fun fact: ‘Waldameer’ translates to ‘woods by the sea’ in German.
The Whirlwind is almost a kiddie version of the Steel Dragon. The Whirlwind has a train of rotating cars, as it goes along a smaller track. This coaster doesn’t have a lift hill- instead, it uses booster wheels. It also circles the track multiple times during the ride. This ride only has a height of 14 feet, and a track length of 190 feet. The Whirlwind opened in 2020.
The Steel Dragon is a steel coaster in Waldameer, Erie. It has a rotating, square car, with two people facing forwards and two facing backwards. The car spins, so riders facing forward are also sometimes facing backwards. The Steel Dragon is about 50 feet tall, around 38 miles per hour speed, and has approximately 1,400 feet of track. This coaster was designed by Zamperla and opened in 2004.
The Ravine Flyer 3 is much the opposite of the Ravine Flyer II. The Ravine Flyer 3 is a small, children’s roller coaster that stands just 13 feet tall, with only 330 feet of track. Unlike the Ravine Flyer and the Ravine Flyer II, this kiddie coaster is made of steel. This ride opened in 2000 (Before the Ravine Flyer II) and was made by E&F Industries.
The Comet at Waldameer is a wooden coaster that opened in 1951, built by Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters. This smaller coaster only has a total height of 37 feet and caps out at just 25 miles per hour. The track of this coaster is about 1,300 feet long and has a duration of somewhere around a minute and 25 seconds.
The Ravine Flyer II at Waldameer is an unpainted wooden coaster that opened in 2008. Though it is a brown color, it is still a fan favorite. The Ravine Flyer II was inspired by the Ravine Flyer. The Ravine Flyer closed after a tragic incident and was disassembled. Waldameer then had the idea to have a coaster cross over Peninsula Drive, which is a highway right next to the park. After lots of planning and legal battles, Waldameer won the rights to build a coaster over the road. They did later, and the wooden coaster finally opened in 2008. The Ravine Flyer II now has a height of 112 feet, a speed of 53 miles per hour, and a total track length of 3,300 feet. The Ravine Flyer II is also the only coaster in the world to cross a four-lane highway.
