Status Operating Type Wood Track layout Double Out and Back Max speed 80 km/h Opened 1966 | Opening date 1966 Designer John Allen Height 23 m Height restriction 1.22 m Track length 732 m | |
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Manufacturer Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters Park Family Kingdom Amusement Park Similar Twist n' Shout, Dragon's Run, Skyliner, Sea Dragon, Wildcat | ||
The Swamp Fox wooden roller coaster is located in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina It is one of 37 rides at Family Kingdom Amusement Park. The coaster is named after American Revolutionary War leader, Francis Marion.
The Swamp Fox is a wooden roller coaster that runs over a 2,400 feet (730 m), figure-eight track. The “double out and back” design takes riders to heights of 75 feet (22.9 m) at speeds up to 50 miles per hour (80 km/h) and features dramatic drops of up to 65 feet (19.8 m). It is number 10 on About.com's list of “The 10 Most Underrated Coasters In North America.”
In one experiment performed on the Swamp Fox, operators found that the train ran its track anywhere from eight to 10 seconds faster at 9 p.m. than it did around 2 p.m. in the afternoon.
The Swamp Fox roller coaster, built by the Philadelphia Toboggan Company of Pennsylvania, opened in 1966 as one of the rides at Grand Strand Amusement Park. In 1992, that park was purchased by the Ammons family and rechristened "Family Kingdom Amusement Park". The Swamp Fox was then totally refurbished according to the original specifications of the original design by John C. Allen. In 2016, American Coaster Enthusiasts marked the 50th anniversary of the Swamp Fox by adding a historical marker.
The Swamp Fox was declared a historic structure by the city in March 2017.