Jack Rabbit (Kennywood)

Jack Rabbit is a wooden roller coaster located at Kennywood Park in West Mifflin, Pennsylvania. Designed and built by John A. Miller^[2] and Harry C. Baker,^[3] Jack Rabbit opened in 1920, making it one of the oldest roller coasters in the world still in operation.^[4] The ride's three trains were manufactured by Edward Vettel Sr. in 1951 and contain three cars of six seats each. Due to the use of a small lap bar in the cars, some young children are disallowed to enter the ride, as 42” is the minimum. A popular early feature of the ride was a tunnel which covered the turnaround section after the first drop, but this was removed in 1947. In 1991, the tunnel was restored at a slightly shorter length.

Jack Rabbit
Kennywood
Park section	Good Time Midway
Coordinates	40°23′12″N 79°51′46″W
Status	Operating
Opening date	1920; 105 years ago (1920)
Cost	$50,000 USD
Kennywood Park
U.S. National Historic Landmark District Contributing Property
Location	4800 Kennywood Blvd., West Mifflin, Pennsylvania
Area	40 acres (16 ha)
Built	1920 (1920)
Architect	Davidson,George S.
Part of	Kennywood Park (ID87000824[1])
Designated NHLDCP	February 27, 1987
General statistics
Type	Wood
Manufacturer	Harry C. Baker
Designer	John A. Miller
Track layout	Terrain, Out and Back roller coaster
Lift/launch system	Chain lift hill
Height	40 ft (12 m)
Drop	70 ft (21 m)
Length	2,132 ft (650 m)
Speed	45 mph (72 km/h)
Inversions	0
Duration	1:36
Max vertical angle	45°
Height restriction	42 in (107 cm)
Trains	3 trains with 3 cars. Riders are arranged 2 across in 3 rows for a total of 18 riders per train.
Jack Rabbit at RCDB

Jack Rabbit was built shortly after Miller patented a new track design in 1920. This design involved the use of wheels both under and over the track, which allowed Miller to create the attraction's largest 70-foot (21 m) drop, which was very large for the time. It is also known for its double dip element following the lift hill. The double dip produces strong airtime.

According to Rick Sebak, producer of Pittsburgh history programs for WQED, the layout and train design results in the rear seat of each train experiencing the greatest amount of airtime.^{[citation needed]}

In 2019, Kennywood released a video of Jack Rabbit estimated to be from 1920 on their YouTube channel. The video features clips of people on the ride and shots taken from the front row seat of Jack Rabbit. Kennywood claims their video is "the oldest coaster POV video in the world".^[5]

Awards

The nonprofit organization American Coaster Enthusiasts (ACE) designated Jack Rabbit as a Coaster Classic.^[6] ACE also designated Jack Rabbit as an "ACE Roller Coaster Landmark" in June 2010.^[7] It is also a contributing structure to the Kennywood Park historic district, listed on the National Register of Historic Places.^[8]

Golden Ticket Awards: Top wood Roller Coasters

Year	1998	1999	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019	2022	2023	2024
Ranking	20[9]	22[10]	36[11]	37[12]	42[13]	34[14]	28[15]	37[16]	33[17]	34[18]	39[19]	20[20]	23[21]	16[22]	18[23]	19[24]	21[25]	20[26]	26[27]	20[28]	20[29]	12[30]	15[31]	17[32]

Gallery

• 
  The orange train after departing the station.
• 
  The pink train begins its descent down the double dip. This train has since been repainted orange as seen in the other photos.
• 
  The double dip, the Jack Rabbit's signature element, as seen from the queue at left along with the ride's first drop next to it.
• 
  The orange train loading in the station.