Thunderhawk is a wooden roller coaster at Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom in Allentown, Pennsylvania, that has been carrying riders since March 30, 1924. Originally opened simply as “The Coaster,” it was designed by legendary coaster architect Herbert Paul Schmeck and built by Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters (PTC), the same manufacturer behind many of the country’s surviving wooden classics.
The ride kept its plain original name for 65 years before being rebranded Thunderhawk in 1989. Today it stands as one of the oldest continuously operating wooden coasters in the world, a distinction recognized in 2021 when American Coaster Enthusiasts awarded it an ACE Coaster Landmark plaque.
Stats at a Glance
- Park: Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom
- Manufacturer: Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters (PTC)
- Opened: March 30, 1924
- Height: 80 feet
- Top speed: 45 mph
- Length: 2,767 feet
- Inversions: 0
The Ride Experience
Thunderhawk’s layout wasn’t always what riders experience today. It debuted as an out-and-back design in 1924, then was reworked in 1930 into a figure-eight twister layout, threading tunneled sections at both ends of the course, including one that passes beneath a pavilion that once housed bumper cars.
A 65-foot drop and a top speed of 45 mph may sound modest by modern standards, but the ride’s age and wooden structure give it a rattling, old-school intensity that newer coasters rarely replicate. The full circuit runs about a minute and 18 seconds, with a maximum drop angle of 45 degrees.
A Century of Upkeep
Keeping a century-old wooden coaster running takes constant reinvestment. In 2016, Dorney Park gave Thunderhawk a major overhaul, adding new open-air PTC trains with individual lap bars, along with fresh white paint and upgraded lighting throughout the structure.
That combination of historic pedigree and modern maintenance is why Thunderhawk still operates as a signature attraction at Dorney Park rather than existing only as a museum piece, and why it remains a pilgrimage stop for wooden-coaster enthusiasts touring the country.
Explore more: Explore more roller coasters.
Thunderhawk Photo Archive: July 2001
These are original ThrillZing photos of Thunderhawk taken at Dorney Park on July 17, 2001, restored and upscaled from the original camera files. They show the 1923 wooden coaster in its white paint: the hawk entrance sign, a train on the lift with Steel Force behind, the big turnaround, and the structure along the park’s tree-lined paths. All photos are free to reuse under a CC BY 4.0 license with credit to ThrillZing and a link to this page.
Thunderhawk FAQs
How old is Thunderhawk at Dorney Park?
Thunderhawk opened on March 30, 1924, making it over a century old and one of the oldest operating wooden roller coasters in the world.
Was Thunderhawk always called Thunderhawk?
No. It originally opened simply as “The Coaster” and kept that name for 65 years before being renamed Thunderhawk in 1989.
Who built Thunderhawk?
It was built by Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters (PTC) and designed by noted coaster architect Herbert Paul Schmeck.
Get More from Thunderhawk
Log the coasters, stadiums, and venues you’ve experienced, rate Thunderhawk, and see what your friends thought. Get the ThrillZing app.
Photo: Chris Hagerman / CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.