Zippin Pippin
Zippin Pippin | |
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Zippin Pippin in Green Bay, Wisconsin
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Previously known as Pippin | |
Bay Beach Amusement Park | |
Coordinates | Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. |
Status | Operating |
Opening date | May 21, 2011 |
Libertyland | |
Coordinates | Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. |
Status | Relocated to Bay Beach Amusement Park |
Opening date | 1912 |
Closing date | 2005 |
General statistics | |
Type | Wood |
Manufacturer | The Gravity Group |
Designer | John A. Miller |
Model | Wooden Coaster |
Track layout | Martin & Vleminckx |
Lift/launch system | Chain lift hill |
Height | 70 ft (21 m) |
Drop | 70 ft (21 m) |
Length | 2,865 ft (873 m) |
Speed | 40 mph (64 km/h) |
Duration | 1:58 |
Max vertical angle | 64° |
Height restriction | 48 in (122 cm) |
Zippin Pippin at RCDB Pictures of Zippin Pippin at RCDB |
The Zippin Pippin, formerly called the Pippin, is one of the oldest existing wooden roller coasters in the United States. It was initially constructed in the former East End Park in Memphis, Tennessee in 1912 by John A. Miller and Harry C. Baker of National Amusement Devices. The construction material was pine wood. As the park declined in popularity, the coaster was dismantled and relocated adjacent to the horse track in Montgomery Park, now known as the Mid-South Fairgrounds. Purchased by the city of Green Bay, Wisconsin in 2010, it was installed at the Bay Beach Amusement Park,[1] where it is once again in operation.
Contents
History
The Zippin Pippin was built in 1912,[2] 1915,[3] or 1917.[4] After severe damage from a tornado in April 1928, the Zippin Pippin was rebuilt by July of the same year at a cost of $45,000,[5] "higher and longer" than before.[6]
In 1976, the city of Memphis opened a theme park called Libertyland around the Pippin and the Grand Carousel, also on the grounds.[7] Renamed the Zippin Pippin, the coaster was billed as the most prominent and historic ride at Libertyland, and was reportedly Elvis Presley's favorite roller coaster. Presley would rent the entire park on occasion just to ride it without constant fan interference.[8] Just a week before his death, Presley rented the park from 1 a.m. to 7 a.m. to entertain a small number of guests and he rode the Zippin Pippin for hours without stopping. On October 29, 2005, citing persistent loss of money, Libertyland permanently closed.
The Zippin Pippin stood without operating for four years in the Libertyland Amusement Park at the Mid-South Fairgrounds (a 125-acre (0.51 km2) tract of land purchased in 1912 and "[d]edicated to the Citizens of Memphis for recreation, athletic fields, fairs." It was taken down between January 28, 2010, and February 11, 2010.
The Libertyland website stated: "One of the oldest operating wooden roller coasters in North America, the Zippin Pippin is as popular today as it was in the early 20th century. It is 2,865 feet [873 m] long, travels 20.8 mph [33.5 km/h]], increasing to 40 mph [64 km/h]] at the maximum drop of 70 feet [21 m]. Ride duration is 90 seconds. Great care is taken to replace its wood regularly to preserve its structure. Manufacturer is Amusement Device Co."[9]
Dismantling and relocation
Dismantling
On June 21, 2006, the Zippin Pippin was sold at auction to Robert Reynolds, former bassist with country band The Mavericks, and Stephen Shutts (partners in a traveling museum called the Honky Tonk Hall of Fame & Rock-N-Roll Roadshow). They purchased the Pippin for $2,500, having initially planned to bid on only one of the roller coaster cars. The sale agreement required the buyer to remove the ride within 30 days. Reynolds and Shutts consulted with a coaster expert to determine the practicality of moving the entire coaster to another location. "It's not in anybody's best interest just to come in and knock it down," Shutts said.[10]
On October 29, 2006, it was announced that the Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina, Tourism Bureau had bought the Zippin Pippin from Reynolds and Shutts and were bringing the coaster to a new tourist development under construction named Carolina Crossroads. It would be a 1,000-acre (400 ha) music park, including the 1,500-seat Roanoke Rapids theatre, outdoor amphitheatre, waterpark, and outlet shopping center.[11]
On November 16, 2009, a section of the Pippin's track was torn out to determine the salvageability of the materials.[12]
On January 28, 2010, crews began dismantling the Zippin Pippin with the hopes of preserving as much of the coaster as possible. The coaster had not been maintained since 2005.[13]
Relocation to Green Bay
On February 7, 2010, the dismantlement was put on hold as Green Bay, Wisconsin administrators visited Memphis to examine the Zippin Pippin for use in Bay Beach Amusement Park.[14] The Zippin Pippin partially collapsed during dismantlement, but the deal was not affected as most of the materials were understood to be unsalvageable.[15] After the Green Bay City Council approved plans to purchase the Zippin Pippin,[16] the city spent $3.8 million to purchase and rebuild the ride.[17]
The groundbreaking for the Zippin Pippin's new location in Green Bay took place on August 25, 2010.[18] It opened to the public on May 21, 2011. The ride had about 110,000 passengers in the first month[19] and over 460,000 riders in the first season.[17] On June 23, 2013 Bay Beach recognized the 1,000,000th rider on the Zippin Pippin since the relocation to Green Bay.[citation needed]
Rankings
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Mitch Hawker's Best Roller Coaster Poll: Best wood-Tracked Roller Coaster[20] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Year | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Ranking | 38 | 26 | 25 |
The roller coaster was not ranked among the top 100 in CoasterBuzz's listing.[21]
References
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ The Commercial Appeal, April 27, 1993.
- ↑ The Commercial Appeal, April 17, 1966.
- ↑ The Commercial Appeal, December 26, 1974.
- ↑ The Commercial Appeal, July 3, 2003.
- ↑ The Commercial Appeal, April 27, 1928.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.[dead link]
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Top 100 Roller Coasters: The CoasterBuzz 100
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Zippin Pippin. |
- Zippin' Pippin - Elvis' Favorite Ride Donated To Save Libertyland- Elvis Australia News - July 6, 2008
- Zippin Pippin Remembered - The history of the ride and photos of its last week standing - LostMemphis.com
- Articles with dead external links from April 2012
- Pages with broken file links
- Roller coasters introduced in 1912
- Roller coasters by name
- Roller coasters introduced in 2011
- Wooden roller coasters
- Roller coasters manufactured by The Gravity Group
- Articles with unsourced statements from April 2014
- Commons category link is defined as the pagename
- Roller coasters in Wisconsin
- History of Memphis, Tennessee
- Culture of Green Bay, Wisconsin
- 1912 establishments in Tennessee