Create Your Own Amusement Park Challenge
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Create Your Own Amusement Park
Challenge
What is the ultimate combination of physics and fun? An amusement park, of course!
A little history
According the Guinness Book of World Records:
“Bakken, located in Klampenborg, North of Copenhagen (Denmark), opened in 1583 and
is currently the oldest operating amusement park in the world. The park claims to have
over 150 attractions, including a wooden roller coaster built in 1932.
In medieval Europe, most major cities featured what is the origin of the amusement
park: the pleasure gardens. These gardens featured live entertainment, fireworks,
dancing, games and some primitive amusement rides. Most closed down during the
1700's, but Bakken is the only one to survive.”
Lots of towns, both big and small, in the United States had some sort of amusement park in
the late 1800’s to early-mid 1900’s. Many started out as trolley parks created by streetcar
companies to give people a reason to use their services on weekends. These parks had picnic
areas and pavilions to hold dances and concerts. Many evolved over time to include swimming
pools, carousels, roller coasters, Ferris wheels, and boat rides becoming the modern
amusement park. It is reported there were between 1,500 - 2,000 amusement parks in the
United States by 1919. Today there are more than 10,000 in the United States alone!
There are still some of these historical parks still in existence like Knoebels Amusement Resort
in Pennsylvania. Originally known as Knoebels Grove, this park opened in 1926 and still family
owned. Other parks, such as Hershey Park in Pennsylvania, are internationally know today but
started as trolley park in 1907. (Milton Hershey built a trolley line that led right to the entrance
of his park!) Some more recent parks were developed as franchises such as Six Flags or
theme parks such as Disney.
Amusement parks and their rides have world-wide attraction and create a following such as
National Amusement Park Historical Association and American Coaster Enthusiast.
www.gsdsw.org info@gsdsw.org 915-566-9433
Types of rides
• Flat rides are those that keep their passengers on
the ground, in most cases. The ride spins around
some vertical axis like a carousels/merry-go-round
or things like bumper cars or spinning tea cups.
Rides like the Spider has the riders in the air going
up and down, however, the arms still spin around a
vertical axis.
• Vertical rides are like flat rides but are vertical
instead of horizontal. The passengers move round a
fixed point. Ferris wheels and pendulum rides like
the Pirate Ship are two examples.
• Gravity rides are rides where gravity does work for
at least some, if not all, of the work. The vertical
movement is not centered on a fixed point. Roller
coasters and water slides are examples.
• Theme rides/attractions are dark rides and fun
houses.
Dark rides are an indoor ride which passengers
travel through scenes that contain music, special
effects, and animation. Tunnel of Love and
haunted ghost rides are examples.
Fun houses are visitor participation attractions that
have things that distort reality, like special mirrors
or floors that move. Visitors walk through fun
houses encountering playful obstacles meant to
startle people in a wacky way.
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The Challenge
Design and Build a Ride
Using the types of ride categories as a guide, you will need to design and construct a ride
for your amusement park. There are no challenge restrictions; make the ride for your
doll, stuffed animal, or family member. Use as much materials found in your house as
possible. Hit the recycling bin and see what you can find. Be creative - go wild! You are
only limited by your imagination. Take a photo of your ride in action.
Research a Park
Do some research on an amusement park you have never visited. It can be a park that no
longer exists but maybe was located in your home town or a park in a foreign country or
one that has been on your bucket list for years.
Try to find out:
• Who designed and built it
• When was it open
• If it is no longer open, when and why did it close?
• Was anything unique about it?
• Why would you want to visit it? Be specific, don’t just say “to have fun.”
Research a Ride OR Career Exploration
Research a Ride
Amusement park rides are all about physics and engineering. Velocity, load capacity,
speed, and height all play into how a ride works, how exciting it is, and most importantly,
how safe it is. Not all rides are created equal and not all rides were safe with the first
version. As technology, architecture, and construction processes improve so do
variations and the next incarnation of the ride.
For example, the loop of a roller coaster is a common component of many roller coasters
today, however, the very first loop was very dangerous to the riders. The Flip Flap Railway
was the very first loop roller coaster and it was wooden!
The Flip Flap Railway was infamous for the extreme g-forces that it produced. The loop
was a 25 foot diameter circle that could produce 12 g. That much force caused riders to
be uncomfortable and some experienced whiplash. Today, looping roller coasters use a
teardrop shape loop that greatly reduces the g-forces.
Career Exploration (NOTE: this option will fulfill requirements for STEM Career badges. )
Have an interest in engineering? Contact a ride manufacturer asking about career
options in the amusement park ride industry. Ask questions about required education,
job prospects, salary and advancement, their day to day work, etc.
www.gsdsw.org info@gsdsw.org 915-566-9433
Level Requirements
Research a Ride
Design & Build Design & Build
Level Research a Park Or Career
One Ride Two Rides
Exploration
Daisy X X
Brownie X X
Junior X X X
Cadette X X X
Senior X X X
Ambassador X X X
A few online resources
National Amusement Park Historical Association
http://lostamusementparks.napha.org/
American Coaster Enthusiasts
https://www.aceonline.org/
Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_amusement_rides
The University of Sheffield National Fairground Archive
http://www.nfa.dept.shef.ac.uk/history/index8.html
Park World
https://www.parkworld-online.com/
Statista
https://www.statista.com/topics/2805/amusement-and-theme-parks/
Bolliger & Mabillard Consulting Engineers, Inc. (roller coaster builder)
https://www.bolliger-mabillard.com/
Intamin Amusement Rides
https://www.intamin.com/
Theme Park Engineering
https://interestingengineering.com/what-you-need-to-do-to-become-a-theme-park-engineer
Submit your Challenge Report
Deadline is May 31, 2021
(patches will be mailed out after 3-4 weeks after deadline)
http://bit.ly/amusementparkchallengereport
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