Corkscrew opened at Knott’s Berry Farm in Buena Park, California in 1975, and it changed roller coaster design forever. Built by Arrow Development and designed by engineer Ron Toomer, it was the first modern steel roller coaster in the world to send riders upside down, doing it not once but twice via its signature back-to-back corkscrew inversions.
Standing in the park’s Roaring 20’s area, Corkscrew was Knott’s first true roller coaster and quickly became a landmark attraction, carrying an estimated 31 million guests over 14 years of operation. It closed in 1989 to make way for the Boomerang coaster, but its story didn’t end there: Knott’s sold the ride to Silverwood Theme Park in Athol, Idaho for about $250,000, and it still operates today as one of the oldest inverting coasters in the world.
Stats at a Glance
- Park: Knott’s Berry Farm (Buena Park, CA)
- Manufacturer: Arrow Development
- Opened: 1975
- Closed: 1989 (relocated to Silverwood Theme Park)
- Height: about 70-72 feet
- Top speed: about 46 mph
- Length: about 1,250 feet
- Inversions: 2
The Ride Experience
Riders climbed a chain lift to a height of roughly 70 feet before dropping around 62 feet and racing through two consecutive corkscrew inversions, a sensation almost no one on Earth had ever felt on a steel coaster in 1975. The full circuit lasted about a minute and covered roughly 1,250 feet of track at speeds up to 46 mph, modest by today’s standards but revolutionary at the time.
Corkscrew’s compact, twisting layout became the template for a whole generation of Arrow-built inverting coasters that spread to parks worldwide through the late 1970s and 1980s, making it one of the most influential ride designs in coaster history.
Legacy and Relocation
When Knott’s Berry Farm retired Corkscrew in 1989 to build Boomerang, the ride wasn’t scrapped. Silverwood Theme Park in Idaho purchased it for about $250,000, and it reopened there in 1990, where it still runs today. In 2011, the American Coaster Enthusiasts organization recognized it with a Coaster Landmark Award for its historical significance as the first modern coaster to loop riders.
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Corkscrew FAQs
Where was Corkscrew originally located?
Corkscrew opened at Knott’s Berry Farm in Buena Park, California in 1975, in the park’s Roaring 20’s area.
Why was Corkscrew significant?
It was the first modern steel roller coaster to take riders upside down, and the first to do it twice via its two back-to-back corkscrew inversions.
Does Corkscrew still exist?
Yes. After closing at Knott’s Berry Farm in 1989, it was sold to Silverwood Theme Park in Athol, Idaho, where it still operates today.
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Photo: Matthew Nelson from Hayden, United States / CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.