# Figure 8 roller coaster

Figure 8 roller coasters are a category of roller coasters where the train runs through a figure 8 shaped course before returning to the boarding station. This design was one of the first designs to be featured in roller coaster design, along with the out and back roller coaster. The figure 8 design allowed for more turns than the out and back design, offering riders an alternative experience.
An early and famous example of a Figure 8 is the Leap the Dips at Lakemont Park, in Altoona, Pennsylvania.
Many figure 8 roller coasters carry the name "Figure 8."

## Layout

In a figure 8 track layout, the track crosses over itself, forming an "8" shape.
The double figure eight is a variation where the track contains two separate figure-eight shapes. Some examples include the Cobra at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom and the Harley Quinn Crazy Train at Six Flags Great Adventure.
Early figure 8 coasters were typically wooden side friction coasters, where the train was brought to the top of the track via chain lift and then descended through gravitational pull. Modern coasters can be made out of wood or steel, and may incorporate different launch mechanisms or train configurations to enhance the ride experience.

## History

Figure 8 coasters date back to the late 19th century. Many roller coasters of the time used out-and-back tracks, and the figure 8 layout became a standard design that provided the rider with more turns during the descent. Like many coasters of the time, figure 8 coasters were slow moving, often capping at speeds of 6 miles per hour (9.7 km/h).
While the track design was a popular alternative to typical out-and-back tracks at the start of the 20th century, interest plummeted in the following decades. They were often dismantled in favor of faster coasters, being viewed as less exciting than the new designs of the time. The Leap the Dips coaster at Lakemont Park, located in Altoona, Pennsylvania, is believed to be the oldest surviving side friction figure 8 coaster.

## Figure 8 roller coasters

An Incomplete List of Figure 8 roller coasters
| Name | Park | Location | Year opened | Status |
| Achterbahn | Skyline Park | Bad Wörishofen, Bavaria, Germany | 1999 | Defunct (2014) |
| Antelope | Gulliver's Warrington | Warrington, Cheshire, England, UK | | |
| Figure 8 | Euclid Beach Park | Cleveland, Ohio | 1904 | Defunct (1909) |
| Figure 8 | Athletic Park | New Orleans, Louisiana | | Defunct |
| Figure 8 | Canobie Lake Park | Salem, New Hampshire | 1902 | Defunct (1933) |
| Figure 8 | Capital Beach Park | Lincoln, Nebraska | 1906 | Defunct (1917) |
| Figure 8 | Cascade Park | New Castle, Pennsylvania | 1903 | Defunct (1921) |
| Figure 8 | Columbia Gardens | Butte, Montana | 1906 | Defunct (1915) |
| Figure 8 | Coney Island | Cincinnati, Ohio | | Defunct (1918) |
| Figure 8 | Crystal Beach Park | Crystal Beach, Ontario, Canada | 1905 | Defunct (1915) |
| Figure 8 | Eldridge Park | Elmira, New York | 1903 | Defunct |
| Figure 8 | Greater Island Park | Easton, Pennsylvania | 1905-1906 | Defunct (1919) |
| Figure 8 | Hague Park | Jackson, Michigan | | Defunct |
| Figure 8 | Happyland Park | Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada | 1906 | Defunct (1911) |
| Figure 8 | Harlem Park | Rockford, Illinois | 1905 | Defunct |
| Figure 8 | Hazle Park | West Hazleton, Pennsylvania | 1905 | Defunct (1922) |
| Figure 8 | Hocus Pocus Park | Knoxville, Tennessee | 1913 | Defunct (1922) |
| Figure 8 | Indianola Park | Columbus, Ohio | | Defunct |
| Figure 8 | Lakeside Park | Flint, Michigan | 1912 | Defunct (1920) |
| Figure 8 | Luna Park | Seattle, Washington | 1907 | Defunct (1913) |
| Figure 8 | Natatorium Park | Spokane, Washington | 1906 | Defunct (1916) |
| Figure 8 | Oakford Park | Jeannette, Pennsylvania | 1904 | Defunct |
| Figure 8 | Ocean View Amusement Park | Norfolk, Virginia | | Defunct |
| Figure 8 | Olentangy Park | Columbus, Ohio | 1902 | Defunct (1937) |
| Figure 8 | Olympic Park | Irvington, New Jersey | 1905 | Defunct (1920) |
| Figure 8 | Palisades Amusement Park | Cliffside Park, New Jersey | 1908 | Defunct |
| Figure 8 | Phalen Park | St. Paul, Minnesota | | Defunct |
| Figure 8 | Pine Island Park | Manchester, New Hampshire | | Defunct |
| Figure 8 | Ramona Park | Grand Rapids, Michigan | 1903 | Defunct (1913) |
| Figure 8 | Riverside Park | Saginaw, Michigan | 1903 | Defunct |
| Figure 8 | Rocky Glen Park | Moosic, Pennsylvania | 1905 | Defunct (1936) |
| Figure 8 | Rocky Springs Park | Lancaster, Pennsylvania | 1906 | Defunct (1917) |
| Figure 8 | South Haven Amusement Park | South Haven, Michigan | | Defunct |
| Figure 8 | Stanley Beach | Port Stanley, Ontario, Canada | | Defunct |
| Figure 8 | Stanton Park | Steubenville, Ohio | 1905 | Defunct (1912) |
| Figure 8 | Steeplechase Park | Brooklyn, New York | 1908 | Defunct |
| Figure 8 | Watch Tower Amusement Park | Rock Island, Illinois | 1905 | Defunct (1914) |
| Figure 8 | Waukesha Beach | Pewaukee, Wisconsin | 1910 | Defunct |
| Figure 8 | West View Park | West View, Pennsylvania | 1909 | Defunct (1926) |
| Figure 8 | White City | Bellingham, Washington | | Defunct |
| Figure 8 | White City | Oshkosh, Wisconsin | 1906 | Defunct |
| Figure 8 | White City | Sheboygan, Wisconsin | | Defunct |
| Figure 8 | White City | Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada | | Defunct |
| Figure 8 | Wolff's Park | Detroit, Michigan | | |
| Figure 8 Toboggan | Idora Park | Oakland, California | 1906 | Defunct (1916) |
| Flying Fish | Thorpe Park | Surrey, England | | |
| Gemini | Cedar Point | Sandusky, Ohio | | Operating |
| Ghoster Coaster | Canada's Wonderland | Vaughan, Ontario, Canada | | Operating |
| Grizzly | Kings Dominion | Doswell, Virginia | | Operating |
| Leap The Dips | Lakemont Park | Altoona, Pennsylvania | | Operating |
| Little Dipper | Six Flags Great America | Gurnee, Illinois | | Operating |
| Meteor | Little Amerricka | Marshall, Wisconsin | | Operating |
| Phoenix | Knoebels Amusement Resort | Elysburg, Pennsylvania | | Operating |
| Racer | Kennywood | West Mifflin, Pennsylvania | | Operating |
| Runaway Train | Chessington World of Adventures | Chessington, Greater London, United Kingdom | | Defunct (2022) |
| Scorpion | Busch Gardens Tampa Bay | Tampa, Florida | | Operating |
| Sea Dragon | Rides At Adventure Cove | Powell, Ohio | | Operating |
| Thunderbolt | Six Flags New England | Springfield, Massachusetts | 1941 | Operating |
| Wild Beast | Canada's Wonderland | Vaughan, Ontario, Canada | 1981 | Operating |
| Wildcat | Cedar Point | Sandusky, Ohio | 1979 | Defunct (2011) |
| Woodstock Express | Carowinds | Charlotte, North Carolina Fort Mill, South Carolina | 1975 | Operating |
| Woodstock Express | Kings Dominion | Doswell, Virginia | 1974 | Operating |
| Woodstock Express | Kings Island | Mason, Ohio | 1972 | Operating |