A group of roller coaster fans was given a special preview ofPlainview’s National Coaster Museum over the weekend.
The museum sits on the western edge of Plainview’s city boundaries at 1933 State Highway 194 West. It is a modest warehouse located on the east side of the parking lot that it shares with Larson International, a company that builds amusement rides and, by chance, is the reason the museum was created in Plainview.
It was a project initiated in 2009 by a team of industry professionals who share a strong interest in roller coasters, according to Kris Rowberry, a member of the National Roller Coaster Museum board.
The museum houses retired train cars from attractions such as Disneyland’s Matterhorn Bobsleds, Montezooma’s Revenge at Knott’s Berry Farm, and a section of the Eurosat train and track from Europa Park in Germany. The warehouse also contains a range of roller coaster models, old signs and lighting, and numerous other valuable items from amusement parks worldwide.
Ask about any of it, and Rowberry or Mark Rosenzweig, another member of the museum board, will likely have information prepared before you finish asking your question.
According to Rowberry, the knowledge is profound. The passion is even more intense.
“We think roller coasters represent an artistic expression,” stated Rosenzweig.
Rowberry and Rosenzweig live in states on the northern eastern coastline and frequently travel to Texas, along with the other 12 members of the museum board, to help turn the museum’s vision into reality. Last week, the two were joined by David Lipnicky and Jeff Braziel, both part of American Coaster Enthusiasts (ACE), a group of amusement ride fans. Rowberry and Rosenzweig are also members of ACE. United by their passion for roller coasters, the four men spent Friday afternoon working hard on final clean-up and preparations to make sure the museum was ready for visitors on Saturday.
It was via ACE that the weekend tour group registered ahead of time for one of the limited events held by the museum in Plainview. Rowberry mentioned that Saturday’s tour is probably the final one for this year, although there are intentions to host more in 2026. The museum is not yet open to the public, but this is the long-term aim for the volunteer group striving to make their vision a reality.
Inside its walls, there is a miniature model of the museum along with blueprints for its five-acre site, which were provided by Larson International.
“We are very thankful for their help,” Rowberry stated.
Since the first donation in 2009, volunteers have dedicated most of the following fifteen years to collecting contributions to enlarge the warehouse and enhance the collection. Larson International has assisted with some of the museum’s growth.
The museum features three large exhibition halls filled with nostalgic items from locations such as Six Flags AstroWorld, Cedar Point, and Busch Gardens. It’s not solely focused on popular parks. There is also a theater room and a bar. The bar’s walls are adorned with wooden pieces from different amusement rides worldwide, each accompanied by plaques indicating their origin. The bar stools were created by pouring resin around real amusement ride wheels, while the bar itself is constructed from parts of actual amusement ride tracks (such as an anti-rollback device) and paneling.
The museum serves as a tribute to the roller coaster, providing a sense of nostalgia for those who cherish these thrilling rides.
When asked about the types of roller coasters the museum plans to collect, Rosenzweig and Rowberry stated there are none. If a ride is located in a park, they hope it continues to operate. They do not wish to see a roller coaster retired. However, they also do not want it to be dismantled and discarded. The two hold other positions within the amusement ride industry, like many members of the museum’s board, and when they find out about a ride that is approaching the end of its service, they begin working to preserve a part of it.
The museum’s latest valuable addition is a vehicle from the Kingda Ka roller coaster, which was previously located at Six Flags Great Adventure in New Jersey. It was considered one of the tallest rides globally and among the fastest until the attraction was taken apart in early 2025.
Several individuals in the tour group were among the initial people to get a close look at the car after it was taken off the track.
“Roller coasters represent American culture,” said Lipnicky.
The first one was constructed in the United States in 1884, according to Rowberry and Rosenzweig.
It wasn’t long before thrilling rides began appearing around the globe. America is where many of the top 10 oldest ones are located, although countries such as Australia, Denmark, and England also have one on the list, as reported by the National Amusement Park Historical Association.
ACE organizes regular excursions for its members to explore not only these but also numerous other roller coasters around the globe. It’s almost an unspoken goal for members to track how many they’ve experienced throughout their lives. Rowberry mentioned he stopped counting after 500, but he’s definitely ridden many more than that. Rosenzweig estimates he has ridden approximately 1,500. Sitting at the bar inside the museum, Lipnicky pulled out his phone to check and noted that he has ridden 1,523 in his lifetime.
Some roller coasters are simply items to tick off a list, the group admitted, but the truly exceptional ones “immerse you in their world,” Lipnicky observed. During the ride, all concerns are set aside, and nothing matters except the thrill of the adrenaline.
“It offers a form of escape,” Rosenzweig added, which is why people enjoy roller coasters.
The hope for the museum is that guests can get near a train car from an old attraction, perhaps touch it, and recall the sensation and memory of what it was like when they first sat in it while it was still functioning, Rowberry said.
Currently, the museum is accessible solely for special events and previews of construction progress.
“We aspire to reach a stage where we are consistently open,” Rowberry stated.
That will rely on volunteers and the speed at which they can finish the vision, which involves initiatives such as converting a retired spiral track from a roller coaster into an archway entrance as visitors enter the parking lot. The components are currently located behind the museum, waiting to be put together.
The most effective way to stay updated on developments and unique events at the museum is to follow the American Roller Coaster Museum on social media and/or the ACE website, catering to roller coaster fans.
