Jack Rabbit is an "out and back" wooden roller coaster located at Seabreeze Amusement Park in Irondequoit, New York. The Jack Rabbit is a terrain coaster that features seven dips, a helix, and a tunnel. It opened on May 31, 1920. Jack Rabbit is the fourth oldest operating roller coaster in the world and the second oldest in the United States. The oldest, Leap-The-Dips in Altoona, Pennsylvania, was closed from 1985 to 1999, making Jack Rabbit the oldest continuously operating coaster in the country.
Background
When nearby Ontario Beach Park closed forever at the end of the 1919 season, Seabreeze found itself as the sole remaining amusement park in Rochester. The park set out on a decade of expansion that would transform a simple park with a few rides into the full-fledged amusement park that we enjoy today. The centerpiece of the 1920 expansion was the Jack Rabbit, a “mammoth-sized” wooden roller coaster that was described as “the largest roller coaster in New York State, outside of Coney Island” by the local newspaper. It was the fastest roller coaster in the world, and was visually stunning to passengers riding the electric trolley cars as they arrived at the park.
The Jack Rabbit was designed by John A. Miller (1872-1942), one of the greatest coaster designers of the era. It was constructed by Harry C. Baker (1887-1939) in just eight weeks using 120 workmen. The Jack Rabbit is the oldest existing coaster to feature Miller’s revolutionary under-friction wheel design that locks the coaster trains to the track, allowing for larger and steeper drops that produce greater speeds.
The Jack Rabbit, which opened on May 31, 1920, uses portions of the park’s natural topography. This allowed Miller to design an exciting out-and-back terrain coaster that was truly unique to Seabreeze. The ride features 2,130 feet of track with a thrilling 75-foot first drop, Miller’s signature camel-back, airtime-producing hills, and a tunneled helix with a final surprise drop through the ravine before returning to the station. The tunnel, a favorite part of the Jack Rabbit today, was added in 1928.
In 2020, the Jack Rabbit celebrated its centennial anniversary, making it the oldest continuously operating roller coaster in North America and the fourth oldest in the world.
Jack Rabbit Timeline
1920 - Jack Rabbit opens on May 31, 1920 as the fastest roller coaster in the world. The coaster utilizes John Miller's new underfriction system that securely fastens the cars to the track. The ride is owned by the Rochester Coaster Corporation which is owned by two men in Michigan.
1922 - Jack Kirby became the ride's manager and operator for the Rochester Coaster Corporation. The Kirby family lived in the house that was located under the Jack Rabbit.
1923 - A large fire in the south end of the park destroys the Jack Rabbit station, lift hill, and first drop.
1924 - Jack Rabbit rebuilt and ready for opening day. The new station building was larger and reconfigured.
1928 - Tunnel added to last drop through the ravine.
1940 - Sometime around 1940, Jack Kirby assumes ownership of the Jack Rabbit from the Rochester Coaster Corporation.
1946 - New "safety" cars are added from National Amusement Devices. Trains are stainless steel with red leather, and feature a locking lap bar.
1972 - Jack Kirby dies and the Long family assumes ownership of the Jack Rabbit.
1982 - During the winter of 1982-1983, the house under the Jack Rabbit is demolished.
1989 - New trains are installed from D.H. Morgan Manufacturing. The trains feature individual bucket seats and a safety bar that sits closer to the lap. The new trains, being wider, required the Jack Rabbit track to be widened. The station was reconfigured to permit flush loading, rather than having separate loading and unloading areas.
2007 - The station was renovated and the drop ceiling removed. Revealed on the rafters was a relic from the past, a sign that said, "Pay as you Leave."
2020 - Jack Rabbit celebrates its 100th anniversary, however Seabreeze is closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The ride operates on several occasions for park staff, maintaining the record as the oldest continuously operating roller coaster in North America. An updated brake system was installed using compressed air to assist with the raising and lowering of the brakes. This was necessary due to steel beams being used for the brake to provide better functionality, which resulted in the brakes being too heavy to operate manually.
2021 - Jack Rabbit has a proper birthday celebration at 101 years old.