Mackie 'Rides' the Whip Car at the Coney Island History Project. May 22, 2010. Photo © Coney Island History Project via flickr
This Mangels’ Fairy Whip car is one of our favorite artifacts in the Coney Island History Project’s exhibition center. It was manufactured circa 1920 at William F. Mangels Factory on 8th Street in Coney Island, which is now the Department of Motor Vehicles Building. Mangels, who was the inventor of such early 20th century thrill rides as the Whip and the Tickler, is one of the amusement industry pioneers honored in the Coney Island Hall of Fame.
But if you want to ride the Whip, you’ll have to take a trip to Rye Playland, Knoebels, Kennywood, Trimper’s or any one of the other parks or carnivals listed on ATZ’s Whip Census. This video pays tribute to Mangels, who was born on February 1, 1867, and shows the Whip in action at Knoebels.
Last February we marked the birthday of William F Mangels with a pictorial tribute to his shooting gallery targets. This year we’re proclaiming Bring Back the Whip! It’s a shame that Coney Island, where this classic ride was invented, doesn’t have an operating Whip. Patented by Mangels in 1914, the Whip was one of the first and most popular thrill rides. Old timers tell us there used to be quite a few Whips as well as quite a few carousels and roller coasters in good ol’ Coney Island. Wouldn’t it be fitting to have a Mangels Whip installed in Steeplechase Plaza next to Mangels’ B & B Carousell?
Painted Buckets: Scene at Trimpers: The Whip - one of the antique mini rides for the little kids. March 27, 2010. Photo © OC Always via flickr
A couple of years ago we started the Whip Census with the help of our friends on Matt’s Carnival Warehouse forum. We were surprised and pleased to find so many Whips out there! As you’ll see from the list, which we believe is far from complete,the ride is still very popular. And it’s nice to know there are still some traveling ones since the Whip is considered the first portable thrill ride. If you know about additional locations, including rides in storage, please comment below or email hello[at]triciavita[dot]com. Perhaps one of these Whips can be relocated to Coney Island in the future!
Parks
Americana/LeSourdsville Lake Park, Monroe, OH. 8-car Whip added in 1941. Park has been closed since 2002.
Beech Bend Park, Bowling Green KY, Kiddie Whip bought at Guntown Mt sale, originally from Beech Bend and returned home.
Bushkill Park, Easton, PA. Park is currently closed
Camden Park, Huntington, WV, 8-car model
Canobie Lake Park, Salem, NH, 8-car oval Kiddie Whip
Cedar Point, Sandusky OH, Kiddie Roto Whip
Dorney Park, Allentown, PA, 12-car model
Hillcrest Park, Wilmington, IL, Roto Whip. Park closed and ride was sold at auction in 2003.
Idlewild Park, Ligonier, PA. 12-car Whip added in 1930s. It now has fiberglass cars.
Keansburg Amusement Park, NJ, Roto Whip
Kennywood Park, West Mifflin, PA, 1918: The Whip is added. 1923: Kiddie Whip is among the first four rides in Kiddieland. 1926: The original 12-car Whip is replaced by a new 16-car model. 1975: Kiddie Whip is destroyed in Dance Hall (Ghost Ship) fire. A vintage miniature Whip from Massachusett’s defunct Paragon Park replaced it.
The Whip at Kennywood Park Jul 26, 2010. Photo © agentsmj/Scott Jones
Kiddieland, Melrose Park, IL, 1949 Roto-Whip. Park closed & rides auctioned in 2009. Whip purchased for $11,500 by Jeff Kimble, an antiques collector and restoration specialist who has a private, 30-acre indoor park in Loganville, Ga.
Kings Island, Mason, OH, Kiddie Whip
Knoebels, Elysburg, PA, Whip from Croops Glen in Hunlock Creek PA moved to Knoebels in the 40s or 50s. Knoebels also has a Kiddie Whip (Oval).
Lakeside Park, Denver, CO
Lakeside Park, Fond du Lac, WI, Roto Whip
Magic Forest, Lake George, NY, Roto Whip
Midway State Park, Bemus Point, NY, Roto Whip
Pocono Mt Go Kart Play Park, Marshall’s Creek, PA, Roto Whip
Rye Playland, Rye, NY, 12-car model
Stricker’s Grove, Ross, OH, Kiddie Whip
Sylvan Beach Amusement Park on Oneida Lake, NY, Roto Whip and one or two other Mangels pieces.
Trimper’s Rides, Ocean City, MD, Fairy Whip for kids (indoors)
Twin Grove Park & Campground, Pine Grove, PA
Carnivals
Benner’s Amusements, PA, Kiddie Oval Whip from Eldridge Park in Elmira, NY
Chuck Reid’s Imperial Shows, CT, Roto-Whip
Funtastic Shows, Oregon
Hudson Valley Shows, NY. Roto Whip
Montana Brothers Amusements, Scranton, PA
Perry Amusements, Ohio. Roto Whip, trailer mounted by the show
Rainbow Promotons, Lansdowne, PA, 6-car model, truck mounted Kiddie Whip that is now on a trailer.
Fatty Arbuckle Rides the Whip in 1917 silent film comedy 'Coney Island'
Related posts on ATZ…
November 18, 2010: Good News from Coney Island! Eldorado “Bump Your Ass Off” Bumper Cars To Reopen
September 4, 2010: Go Up, It’s Great! Coney Island’s & Deno’s Wonder Wheel
February 25, 2010: Happy Belated Birthday to Coney Island’s William F Mangels
May 21, 2009: Astroland Closed But Your Kid Can Still Ride the USS Astroland This Summer!
Amusing the Zillion 
Zamperla does make a family ride similar, called speedway. I can barely fit in the seats, being 5’10”
Taylor, I did not realize you are that tall! A poster on Matt’s Carnival warehouse mentioned the Speedway too. I was curious and found this vid on Zamperla’s website: http://www.zamperla.com/en/product/128/speedway.html
I have my heart set on a vintage Fairy Whip like Trimper’s but it is original to their park and an intact one is probably not to be found today. Old ones are broken up and the cars sold to collectors!
Tricia
As of 2007, Ocean Beach Park in New London, CT was operating the Kiddie Whip that it purchased from the defunct Whalom Park. I am not sure if it’s still in operation as the park Web sites doesn’t list or display all its rides: http://www.ocean-beach-park.com/Attraction-Gallery.html
and
http://www.ocean-beach-park.com/Family-Activities.html
Also, it is my understanding that in 2002, Storyland in Glen, NH purchased Whalom’s adult coaster which I recall as being a 12-tub model. But I believe the park still has it in storage.
Thanks, George. Good to know! Hoping to annotate the census with additional info. So far I have added a couple of parks plus info on the history of Kennywood’s Whip rides. They also replaced a kiddie whip with one from a defunct park
Yes, Paragon Park’s kiddie Whip to Kennywood. I saw that. I went to Paragon many times from the mid-1960s to the year it closed in the mid-1980s. It was about 90-minutes from my home. Paragon also had a 12-tub adult Whip and I guessing that Whalom scooped it up to use it for parts when Paragon closed. Whalom’s adult Whip had tubs that didn’t have matching art work so they had to be acquired from other parks over the years. Plus, Whalom used to employ some de-commisioned Whip cars (stripped of their undercarriage hardware) as chairs for its outdoor theater. Now that Storyland is owned by the same company that owns Kennywood, there’s a possibility that they’ve shipped Whalom’s Whip hardware to Kennywood as replenishments for Kennywood’s operating Whip.
hello guys. i just bought a very early single whip car and i am trying to restore it sooner or later. it is dated on the side being from 1916 i believe. its an original unrestored one. i am trying to find some better pics of what the actual ride originally looked like as far as the paintings on the side. i see the one with the dog in it which is great. and the one with fatty in it which is great to. i was wondering if anyone else has any pictures of the whip?
thanks a lot
chris
Chris, I think your best bet is to get pix of the one at Trimper’s. These are very rare!
See my Whip Car restoration chronicle here:
http://www.coneyisland.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.cgi?num=1326038619
theres one on craigs list now 1200$
the best whip ride out there currently is at “rye playland”. not only is it in t.l.c.,but the snapback is awesome!
I concur. One good thing about Playland is that they run their vintage rides fast. I notice in films that with most Whip rides, the car will snap out once as it goes around each corner. However, the Rye Playland Whip goes so fast that the car Whips out and back, and out and back again around each turn.
Now if only they would restore the Dragon Coaster trains and get rid of those awful fiberglass light weight Morgans!
yeah! this was the best vid of it I could find on YouTube…
Hi all, Hersheypark still has an operating Whip! http://www.hersheypark.com/rides/details.php?id=33
We have a roto whip on the west coast. Completely restored and in use on the rode with Big Top Shows.www.bigtopshows.net
Let’s go Coney! What a great idea to post a Whip on Steeplechase Plaza! Maybe an extra Tilt-A-Whirl while we’re at it!
Hi All, Canobie Lake park used to have a full size whip also. But then they took it out. I have written them and received a vague answer about what happened to it. Does anyone know what happened to The Whip. It used to be right next to the bumper cars.
Don’t know if you know, but Heritage Park in Canada has a Mangels Whip as well as an antique Caterpillar with canopy.
https://www.heritagepark.ca/
Dorney Park in Allentown, PA still has there 100 year old WP Mangles Whip installed. https://www.dorneypark.com/play/rides/whip accross the state Kennywood has there 16 car model https://www.kennywood.com/attractions