Santa Cruz Looff Carousel and Roller Coaster
Encyclopedia
Santa Cruz Looff Carousel and Roller Coaster On The Beach Boardwalk is a National Historic Landmark
composed of two parts, a Looff carousel
and the Giant Dipper wooden roller coaster, on the boardwalk at Santa Cruz, California
.
The Looff Carousel includes a brass ring
dispenser, which riders can reach out and try to collect. It is one of the only ones in the world, where riders can grab a ring from a dispenser and aim at a target. Sometimes, riders keep the rings to remember their visit.
The Looff
family was one of the major early manufacturers
of carousel
s, including this 1911 example. Only five other intact Looff carousels remain in the United States
. The 1924 Giant Dipper roller coaster is the older of the two large, wooden scaffolded
roller coasters remaining on the West Coast
.
The carousel and roller coaster together were declared a National Historic Landmark
in 1987.
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
composed of two parts, a Looff carousel
Carousel
A carousel , or merry-go-round, is an amusement ride consisting of a rotating circular platform with seats for riders...
and the Giant Dipper wooden roller coaster, on the boardwalk at Santa Cruz, California
Santa Cruz, California
Santa Cruz is the county seat and largest city of Santa Cruz County, California in the US. As of the 2010 U.S. Census, Santa Cruz had a total population of 59,946...
.
Looff Carousel
Brass ring
A brass ring is a small grabbable ring that a dispenser presents to a carousel rider during the course of a ride. Usually there are a large number of iron rings and one brass one, or just a few. It takes some dexterity to grab a ring from the dispenser as the carousel rotates. The iron rings can be...
dispenser, which riders can reach out and try to collect. It is one of the only ones in the world, where riders can grab a ring from a dispenser and aim at a target. Sometimes, riders keep the rings to remember their visit.
Charles I. D. Looff
Charles I. D. Looff was a master carver and builder of hand-carved carousels and amusement rides in America. Looff built the first carousel at Coney Island in 1876. During his lifetime, he manufactured over 50 carousels,twelve amusements parks, several roller coasters and Ferris wheels, and built...
family was one of the major early manufacturers
Manufacturing
Manufacturing is the use of machines, tools and labor to produce goods for use or sale. The term may refer to a range of human activity, from handicraft to high tech, but is most commonly applied to industrial production, in which raw materials are transformed into finished goods on a large scale...
of carousel
Carousel
A carousel , or merry-go-round, is an amusement ride consisting of a rotating circular platform with seats for riders...
s, including this 1911 example. Only five other intact Looff carousels remain in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The 1924 Giant Dipper roller coaster is the older of the two large, wooden scaffolded
Scaffolding
Scaffolding is a temporary structure used to support people and material in the construction or repair of buildings and other large structures. It is usually a modular system of metal pipes or tubes, although it can be from other materials...
roller coasters remaining on the West Coast
West Coast of the United States
West Coast or Pacific Coast are terms for the westernmost coastal states of the United States. The term most often refers to the states of California, Oregon, and Washington. Although not part of the contiguous United States, Alaska and Hawaii do border the Pacific Ocean but can't be included in...
.
The carousel and roller coaster together were declared a National Historic Landmark
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
in 1987.