Yankee Cannonball is a wooden roller coaster at Canobie Lake Park in Salem, New Hampshire, designed by Herbert Paul Schmeck of Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters. The ride’s history stretches back further than most guests realize: it was originally built in 1930 at Lakewood Park in Waterbury, Connecticut, where it ran under the names Roller Coaster and later Meteor before that park’s closure.
After sitting dismantled for years, the trestle was moved to Canobie Lake Park and reopened in 1936 as Greyhound, an operation still regarded as the earliest successful relocation of a large-scale wooden roller coaster. Renamed Yankee Cannonball in 1983, the out-and-back classic has weathered hurricane damage, extensive retracking, and decades of New England summers while remaining a fan-favorite ride.
Stats at a Glance
- Park: Canobie Lake Park, Salem, New Hampshire
- Manufacturer: Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters
- Designer: Herbert Paul Schmeck
- Opened: 1936 (originally built 1930)
- Height: 65 ft
- Top speed: 35 mph
- Length: 2,000 ft
- Inversions: 0
The Ride Experience
Yankee Cannonball follows a classic out-and-back wooden layout, climbing a chain lift hill before dropping into a series of airtime-filled hills that build speed across its 2,000-foot circuit. With a top speed of about 35 mph and no inversions, the ride relies on the rhythm and rattle typical of vintage wood coasters rather than modern thrills like loops or launches.
Trains run with single-position lap bars, and since a 2001 incident led to seatbelt additions and single-train operation, the ride has continued serving guests as one of the park’s signature attractions alongside its retracking work handled by specialists Martin & Vleminckx.
A Coaster With a Second Life
What sets Yankee Cannonball apart from most wooden coasters of its era is its origin story: rather than being built new at Canobie Lake Park, it was salvaged from Lakewood Park in Connecticut after that ride closed and sat dismantled onsite. Its move to New Hampshire in the mid-1930s is considered the earliest successful large-scale relocation of a wooden coaster, a feat that helped prove such rides could be dismantled and rebuilt elsewhere.
The coaster has also endured real damage over the decades, including a lift hill destroyed by Hurricane Carol in 1954 that forced a season-long closure for repairs. Its resilience and unique history earned it American Coaster Enthusiasts Landmark status in 2013.
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Yankee Cannonball FAQs
How old is the Yankee Cannonball roller coaster?
Its structure dates to 1930, when it was originally built at Lakewood Park in Connecticut, though it has operated at Canobie Lake Park since 1936.
Who manufactured Yankee Cannonball?
It was built by Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters and designed by noted coaster engineer Herbert Paul Schmeck.
How fast does Yankee Cannonball go?
The wooden coaster reaches a top speed of about 35 mph across its 2,000-foot out-and-back layout.
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Photo: Jeremy Thompson / CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.