{"nrhp_refnum":"91000229","name":"Leap-the-Dips","other_names":[],"category":"structure","location":{"address":"700 Park Ave.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Altoona","county":"Blair County","state":"PA","lat":40.47083077150003,"lon":-78.39637144028276,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1991-03-15","is_nhl":true,"nhl_designated_date":"1996-06-19","areas_of_significance":["Engineering","Entertainment/Recreation"],"significance_levels":["national"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"Leap-the-Dips is a Side-Friction Figure Eight roller coaster in Lakemont Park in Altoona, Blair County, Pennsylvania. It was constructed in 1902 by E. Joy Morris of Philadelphia.","why_significant":"The nomination argues the coaster is the only surviving Side-Friction Figure Eight known in North America and believed to be the last of its kind in the world. It is also described as the oldest known standing roller coaster in North America, and it represents the early period of roller coaster technology before the under-friction system replaced it after World War I.","narrative":"Leap-the-Dips is a wooden Side-Friction Figure Eight roller coaster built in 1902 at Lakemont Park in Altoona, Pennsylvania, by Edward Joy Morris of Philadelphia. Its cars run on a multi-layered figure eight course supported by a timber trestle, with non-flanged wheels riding on boards and guide wheels pressing against vertical friction boards on each side of the track. A lift hill rises to 41 feet, and a station pavilion with a hip roof stands at the front. Morris held patents for the figure eight design and built many such rides in the early twentieth century, often to a standard configuration. The coaster operated through 1985 and is regarded as the last surviving example of its type. Its significance lies in its representation of a technology that dominated early roller coaster design before being replaced by the under-friction system in the 1920s. Original station, storage shed and cars remain, although the track has received steel and other replacements over time.","period_of_significance":"1902-1920","architect_builder":"Edward Joy Morris (1860-1929)","architectural_style":null,"criteria":["A","C"],"status_note":"The ride operated through the 1985 season; the Leap The Dips Preservation Foundation leases it and is raising funds for restoration.","vacant_flag":null,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-haiku-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.1-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 17:11:30.233581-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_PA/91000229_NHL.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/91000229/34e69c93da-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/91000229/34e69c93da-1600.webp","licence":"Public domain","author":"Bhakta Dano. Original uploader was Oldano at en.wikipedia","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Leap_The_Dips_(Lakemont_Park).jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Bhakta Dano. Original uploader was Oldano at en.wikipedia</a>, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Leap_The_Dips_(Lakemont_Park).jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/71994129","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leap-The-Dips","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1125804"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/pennsylvania/blair-county/leap-the-dips-91000229/"}