Santa Cruz Looff Carousel and Roller Coaster

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.

Looff Carousel

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 carousels, 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.^[2][3]

Giant Dipper wooden roller coaster

The Giant Dipper is a classic wooden roller coaster that still provides a thrilling experience over 80 years after it first debuted.

References

1. ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. 2007-01-23. http://nrhp.focus.nps.gov/natreg/docs/All_Data.html. 
2. ^ ^{a b} "Santa Cruz Looff Carousel & Roller Coaster On The Beach Boardwalk". National Historic Landmark summary listing. National Park Service. http://tps.cr.nps.gov/nhl/detail.cfm?ResourceId=1978&ResourceType=Structure. Retrieved 2007-11-18. 
3. ^ James H. Charleton (October 15, 1984). National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination: Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk Roller Coaster ("The Big Dipper") and CarouselPDF (480 KB). National Park Service  and Accompanying 3 photos, from 1985.PDF (628 KB)

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