About ACE

The American Coaster Enthusiasts; the world's largest club of amusement ride enthusiasts, was founded in 1978 as a not-for profit, all volunteer club to foster and promote the conservation, appreciation, knowledge and enjoyment of the art of the classic wooden roller coaster and the contemporary steel coaster.

Our club has grown from a handful of members to over 8,000 members representing all 50 states, DC, and 12 countries. We publish a bimonthly newsletter and a quarterly magazine for our members. We also sponsor several events at parks each year. If you love the thrill of the twists, turns, drops, and loops of a roller coaster, this club is for you!

ACE'S HISTORY

As a publicity stunt for the 1977 movie Roller Coaster, a group of roller coaster enthusiasts gathered at King's Dominion (now Paramount's Kings Dominion) in Doswell, VA for a marathon on the park's new coaster for the year: the Rebel Yell. After nearly one week of riding and sleeping on the coaster, three men broke the world's record for a coaster marathon. ACE was born the next year when the three of the marathoners reunited at Busch Gardens in Williamsburg, VA.

ACE was founded as a not-for profit, all volunteer club to foster and promote the conservation, appreciation, knowledge and enjoyment of the art of the classic wooden roller coaster and the contemporary steel coaster. Since 1978, ACE has grown from 3 members to over 8,000 members representing all 50 states, the District of Columbia and 12 countries.

MEMBERSHIP BENEFITS

Membership dues for ACE are $60 per year for an individual, slightly more for a couple or family. Corporate memberships are also available for $90 per year. During the membership year, members receive the following benefits:

• All memberships have the right to vote in any ACE election.
• All memberships receive our publications: ACE News (our bi-monthly newsletter) and RollerCoaster! (our quarterly color magazine).
• Members will be able to attend all ACE events at reduced registration rates. Events typically include Exclusive Ride Time (ERT) and discounts for lodging.
• Many parks also host special events and invite members of ACE and other amusement park related clubs. Many of these events also include ERT.
• A few parks offer free or reduced admissions to ACE members.
• Enterprise Rent-A-Car offers discounted rates on car rentals. A portion of the rental cost is also donated to ACE's Museum Fund.

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Additionally...

ACE hosts Coaster Con, our national convention, annually as well as several other smaller conferences at parks around the globe. Our events are a great opportunity for fellow ACEers to gather together to ride coasters! If you are not a member, attending an ACE event is a fun way to "check us out" to see if you are interested in joining. Typically, our events include:

* Group rates for park admission

* One or more picnic-style meals

* Exclusive Ride Time! (ERT), which is time we get to ride the coasters when the park and/or the coaster is closed to the public.

* Hotel lodging at group rates.

We have a great line-up of events slated for the upcoming months. Note that all information is tentative until we actually announce the event with a flyer! Refer to the Event Updates and Changes page for the latest news or updates for an event.

If you are interested in becoming a member you can download an application here.

And Finally
Click here for a list of Frequently Asked Questions concerning ACE