The ACE Preservation Fund offers financial assistance to roller coaster owners and operators around the world to lend aid when needed. These funds may be available to assist with costs associated with needed repairs or refurbishment work to ensure a roller coaster continues to offer guests thrills, fun and memories for years to come. If not for support from the ACE Preservation Fund, Leap The Dips, the world’s oldest roller coaster, would not have been restored and reopened in 1999. Although Leap The Dips is not currently operating in 2024, ACE is committed to working with Lakemont Park to have it return to operation as soon as possible. Other beneficiaries of this fund include Bay Beach Amusement Park’s Zippin Pippin, Conneaut Lake Park’s Blue Streak (now defunct) and Margate Dreamland’s Scenic Railway.

Most recently, this fund has supported:

• Bushkill Park in Easton, Pennsylvania, in its efforts to install a new roller coaster after a flood.
• Camden Park’s Big Dipper in Huntington, West Virginia.
• Lakemont Park in Altoona, Pennsylvania with the repainting of Skyliner
• Arnolds Park in Arnolds Park, Iowa repairs to Legend and Wild Mouse.
• Bartlesville Kiddie Park with refurbishment parts for its classic Herschell Little Fireball.

If the ACE Preservation Grant can assist with ensuring the continued operation of your roller coasters or offer other assistance, such as statements to the media for community support, contact the ACE History and Preservation Director via our Contact Us page.

To ensure that roller coasters, especially classic wooden ones, remain for future generations to enjoy, ACE not only provides financial support, but also:

• Promotes the appreciation and enjoyment of roller coasters to parks, the public and other roller coaster enthusiasts.
• Recognizes coasters that continue to be operated traditionally by granting them ACE Coaster Classic status.
• Recognizes historically significant coasters by designating them as ACE Roller Coaster Landmarks.
• Educates parks about the historical significance of endangered coasters and demonstrates alternatives to destroying them.
• Assists parks with the required paperwork and documentation to list coasters or parks on the National Register for Historic Places or have them declared National Historic Landmarks.
• Identifies Standing But Not Operating (SBNO) * coasters and publicizes these coasters to parks that may be in the market for a coaster.
• Educates parks about coasters that have been successfully relocated *.
• Hosts an annual Preservation Conference to draw attention to traditional parks or coasters.
• Works with the amusement industry with events and activities to help focus attention on roller coasters.

ACE Roller Coaster Landmark
for Mind Bender
Photo: Curt Schimmel

Zippin Pippin – Bay Beach
Photo: Richard Koppelman

Legend – Arnolds Park
Photo: Tim Baldwin

Vuoristorata – Linnanmäki
Photo: Curt Schimmel

Scenic Railway – Margate Dreamland
Photo: Justin Garvanovic

Big Dipper – Camden Park
Photo: Steve Gzesh